The Star in the Sky
by Sarah310592
Summary: The Doctor meets a girl in the basement with Rose. What secret is this girl hiding? Does she even know she's hiding it? What happens when the Secret comes out? Why does she seem so familiar to the Doctor? A complete revision of series 1. 9/OC (Time Lady) - The first in The Night Light Chronicles.
1. Rose - Part 1

******AN: Hey, I have been in the world of FF for a while now and finally decided to write my first original fan fiction so please be nice. I read a lot of fan fictions and finally decided to start my own.**

******Just a few warning about this story, this is going to be a Doctor/OC story. I don't really like Rose so she might not be the same as she was in the show.**

******Every episode is going to be split into 2 chapters mainly to help me when I edit before posting. If I miss anything spelling or grammar wise please let me know as its not my strong point so I will probably make many mistakes and I don't have a beta.**

******I was inspired to do this fan fiction after reading LizzeXX's Doctor Who series (All of her stories are really good so if you haven't read them do they are so worth it). So I would like to give her a special thanks for giving me the inspiration to finally pluck up the courage and write my own.**

******This is book 1 of the Night Light Chronicles called The Star in the Sky.**

******If you want visuals of the outfits you can find them on my Tumblr or Polyvore which can be accessed from my profile.**

******The Actress I see my OC looking like is Kristin Kreuk**

******~*0*~ is a scene break**

******~{8}~ and writing in ****____****Italics ********is a flashback/memory for full memories, but smaller one line memories will be just written in **_****__**Italics**_

******Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. I only know Astra Nyx and her back story. The Transcripts are for the episodes are from ****chakoteya****.****net****(slash)********doctorwho then selecting New Who Episodes.**

Rose (Part 1)

In a flat a young girl called Astra Nyx was awake and had just finished pulling out some blueberry muffin from the oven when her alarm sounded, at 7.00 letting her know it was time for her to go and get ready for work. Leaving the muffins on a cooling tray she went to her bedroom to decide what to wear.

~*0*~

In another flat a couple of streets away a younger blonde girl called Rose Tyler woke up in her bright pink room to the sound of her alarm at 7.30. She gets up and rushes into the bathroom to get ready for work.

~*0*~

Astra dresses in a black and white stripy jumper, a pair of blue faded boot-cut jeans and some brown ankle boots. On the way to the door she checks her wavy brown hair, mascara and eye-liner one last time in the mirror near the door. Putting on a touch of lip balm and tucking her locket under her jumper before she grabs her keys she putting the box of muffins in her bag as she leaves her flat, locking the door behind her.

~*0*~

Rose, rushes through getting ready dressing in a pink track suit jacket, baggy jeans and trainers. Putting on all her make up and running a brush through her hair making sure she looks presentable before quickly rushing through the flat giving her mother a quick peck on the cheek before rushing out the door slamming it behind her as she calls a quick "Bye!" behind her, not hearing her mothers answering "See you later" as she rushes down the stairs and out the building.

~*0*~

Astra calmly walks into Henricks Department Store saying a quiet "Hello" to the security guard at the door as she pulls a muffin out of the box in her bag and offers it to him with a smile, he takes a bite and says "Gorgeous as always Az" she smiles waving off the compliment as she walks towards the offices to store her handbag before heading to the cash registers and getting to work.

~*0*~

Rose takes the bus to Central London and gets off outside the department store. Rushing past the guard completely ignoring him as she runs late into the shop apologising to the manager as she passes as she notices him looking at her with a raised eye brow before he shakes his head. She goes into the office to grab a cup of coffee and drop her bag off.

~*0*~

As the morning passes, Astra is working the register, talking and helping to direct the customers to where they want to go before heading out for a quick lunch. Finishing her home-made pasta quickly she tidies up before going straight over to the staff organising the window displays and helping them to set them up.

~*0*~

Rose moves and organises piles shirts and jeans around in the ladies wear section before heading out to meet her boyfriend for a pasty lunch in Trafalgar Square losing track of time as they mess about before realising and rushing off to work, late again. Avoiding her boss as she picks up the sales tags and starting to hook them onto the hangers in the sale section.

~*0*~

At about 5 to 6 when the announcement system clicks on and a gentle female voice was heard through out the shop "This is a customer announcement. The store will be closing in five minutes. Thank you"

Rose and some of the other girls head for the main doors. The guard shakes a clear plastic bag containing several lottery tickets in front of Rose "Oi!" Rose reluctantly takes the bag and runs back to the staff lift.

Astra steps inside just as the doors close, on her way to take a cup of coffee down for the electrician along with some of her muffins from this morning, having just come from the office where she was filing the sales reports. They both stand in semi awkward silence as they travel down to the basement.

~*0*~

"Wilson? Wilson, I've got the lottery money. Wilson, are you there?" Rose shouts as they exit the lift into the basement, Astra stays quiet and looks around alert getting a really bad feeling, something was wrong.

Walking down to a grey heavy duty door with a large danger of electric shock sign that marked the office of H P Wilson, CEO. Rose knocked on the door loudly shouting through it "I can't hang about 'cos they're closing the shop. Wilson! Oh, come on."

There is a clattering noise of falling hangers further down the corridor and they both start walking down the hall trying to keep quiet which is then rendered unnecessary as Rose shouts "Hello? Hello, Wilson, it's Rose. Hello? Wilson?"

She opens the door to a store room and Astra turns on the lights. There are boxes of clothes, and dressed dummies lining the side. Rose continues shouting "Wilson? Wilson!" As she explores, Astra looking around feeling as if she being watched when the door slams shut behind her. Rose runs back but it won't open as Astra keeps looking around seeing if she can spot anything out of place.

"You're kidding me." Rose mutters to herself as she keeps trying to get the door open when more noises sound behind her looking back to see Astra looking towards the section of dressed, window dummies.

"Is that someone mucking about? Who is it?" she shouts as a male shop dummy turns to watch them walk past, then it gets up and approaches them from behind "Yeah, you got me. Very funny" she continues a little quieter starting to think that something might not be quite right.

A second one starts moving behind it, then a third "Right, I've got the joke. Who's idea was this? Is it Derek's? Is it? Derek, is this you?" More shop dummies start moving as Astra turns round, seeing the dummies she grabs Rose by the wrist and drags her away down the storage area.

Backing away down the hall as quick as they can Astra tipping over boxes as she goes trying to stop them or at least slow them down while at the same time trying not to get separated from Rose.

Finally the dummies have them trapped against the wall leaning back against some pipes, the lead dummy raises its arm ready to strike down on them, When a hand grabs Astra's.

Looking up she sees a man in black jeans, a dark red T-shirt and a leather jacket he simply says "Run" as he uses the hand he has a hold of to drag her through the crowd of dummies. He drags them out of the way just as the lead shop dummie slams its arm down and splits the pipe which lets out a gust of steam into the dummies face. The dummie steps back a bit before seeming to catch its balance and then starting to chase after them.

~*0*~

The dummies follow them down the corridor and into a service lift. The lead dummie puts its arm through the closing doors making a grab at Astra, who had pushed Rose through before her, just missing her hair. The Doctor grabs the arm and after several harsh tugs manages to pulls it off, and the doors close.

The Doctor turns to Astra making sure that they are OK now that they are relatively safe, checking her over to see if the arm had managed to get her. While he had his hand on her shoulder neither could quite shake the feeling that the other was familiar somehow, but neither could quite put there finger on where.

"Thanks" she said quietly and his lips lifted on there own violation into a small sincere smile.

"You pulled his arm off" Rose announced suddenly pulling their attention to her after having almost forgotten she was there.

Rolling his eyes the Doctor turned to face the doors crossing his arms as he answered "Yep. Plastic" twisting around to toss the arm to her.

"Very clever. Nice trick! Who were they then, students? Is this a student thing or what?" Rose demanded.

"Why would they be students?" the Doctor answered furrowing his eye brows in confusion.

"I don't know" Rose said getting defensive for no real reason.

"Well, you said it. Why students?" he asks genuinely curious finally turning towards her as he tried to understand.

"'Cos to get that many people dressed up and being silly, they got to be students" Rose said thinking this was a plausible excuse.

Turning to face the front so she wouldn't see him rolling his eyes "That makes sense. Well done" he answers sarcastically.

"Thanks" answers Rose as his tone went right over her head and believing him to be complimenting her.

The Doctor heaves a sigh resigning himself to explaining it to the stupid human "They're not students"

Rose interrupt before he can finish "Whoever they are, when Wilson finds them, he's going to call the police"

"Who's Wilson?" turning to Astra for an answer, both annoyed at Rose for cutting him off but genuinely curious.

"Chief electrician" Astra answers him.

"Wilson's dead" he states ignoring Rose as he turns to face the doors again, noticing Astra closing her eyes and bowing her head out of the corner of his eye, he reaches out and squeezes her hand gently not knowing why but knowing that he cant stand to see her getting upset and not try to comfort her in some way.

"Hold on. Mind your eyes" he warns, more to Astra than Rose.

Still holding Astra's hand he pulls her out of the lift before sonicing the lift buttons until they spark before running down the hall to the fire exit, Astra has no choice but to follow as he drags her down the hall with his hand still in hers leaving Rose to hurry to catch up trailing behind them.

Rose says "I've had enough of this now. Who are you, then? Who's that lot down there? I said, who are they?" trying to get answers from the man only to be ignored.

"Are they Robots, like remote control on a grander scale than just mini cars?"

He seems mildly impressed with her deduction and logic to reward her with an honest answer "They're made of plastic. Living plastic creatures called Autons. They're being controlled by a relay device in the roof, which would be a great big problem if I didn't have this." telling her she was right for the most part before holding up a small bomb that they didn't notice him carrying "So, I'm going to go up there and blow them up, and I might well die in the process, but don't worry about me. No, you go home. Go on. Go and have your lovely beans on toast. Don't tell anyone about this, because if you do, you'll get them killed" the Doctor finishes.

After shoving Rose out the fire exit he lets go of Astra's hand seeming to finally realise he still had hold of it. Ignoring the sense of loss that came with letting go before he shuts the door behind him, only for a moment before opening it again.

"I'm the Doctor, by the way. whats your name?" he asks looking at Astra seeming to ignore Rose.

"Rose" Rose answers anyway earning a dismissively look from the Doctor before he turns back to Astra.

"Astra. Astra Nyx" she says softy with a small smile, he looks shocked for a moment before seeming to shake it off and puts on a smile before saying "Nice to meet you, Astra. Run for your life!".

Astra and Rose makes their way to the main road, glancing around nervously at all the dummies in the shop windows. They run across the road, Rose nearly becoming a hood ornament for a black cab, Ignoring the taxi drivers "Watch it Lady!" they run up the street that would lead off onto their different streets before looking back over their shoulder at the shop.

They share a look and just turn around to walk off to their respective places when...

Kaboom!

A huge fireball explodes on the roof of the shop taking out the upper floor of Hendrik's.

Rose runs off straight away past an out of date police telephone box which Astra notices and stares at it for a moment feeling, the niggling feeling of familiarity in the back of her mind, before she shakes her it off, turns around and headed home.

~*0*~

Back at the Tyler flat Jackie is on the telephone talking to one of her friends as Rose is sat slumped on the settee staring at the TV watching the news about her job being blown up.

"I know. It's on the telly" Jackie says into the phone as she walks in with a cup of tea handing it to Rose before walking back out again "It's everywhere. She's lucky to be alive. Honestly, it's aged her. Skin like an old bible. Walking in now you'd think I was her daughter. Oh, and here's himself" Jackie continues to gossip over the phone as Mickey runs in.

"I've been phoning your mobile. You could've been dead. It's on the news and everything. I can't believe that your shop went up!" Mickey rushes over to her sounding genuinely worried.

"I'm all right, honestly, I'm fine! Don't make a fuss" Rose waves him off.

"Well, what happened?" he questions wanting to make sure for himself she is OK

"I don't know!" she shrugs

"What was it though? What caused it?" Mickey continues relentlessly, wanting to know what happened so he could determine for himself that she was as fine as she claimed.

"I wasn't in the shop. I was outside with that Astra girl. I didn't see anything" Rose shrugs him off again not noticing the slight concern that enters his eyes at the mention of Astra being there too.

"It's Debbie on the end. She knows a man on the Mirror. Five hundred quid for an interview" Jackie says enthusiastically trying to get her daughter's spirits up.

"Oh that's brilliant! Give it here" Rose says tired of her mothers behaviour. Rose takes the phone from Jackie and ends the call before slamming the phone down on top of the magazine on the coffee table ignoring the disapproving look her mother is giving her for her rudeness.

"Well, you've got to find some way of making money. Your job's kaput and I'm not bailing you out" Jackie says before the telephone rings again and walks out of the room to answers it.

"Bev! She's alive. I've told her, sue for compensation. She was within seconds of death" they hear Jackie saying on the phone before she is out of earshot.

Mickey notices the cup in Rose's hand "What're you drinking, tea? Nah, nah, that's no good, that's no good. You're in shock. You need something stronger" Mickey says grabbing the cup off her and putting it on the coffee table.

"I'm all right" she says looking up at him shaking her head.

"Now, come on, you deserve a proper drink. We're going down the pub, you and me. My treat. How about it?" Mickey says seeing that he wasn't going to get any more out of her tonight.

"Is there a match on?" She says smiling up at him.

"No, I'm just thinking about you, babe" Mickey answers mock offended.

"There's a match on, ain't there" Rose says full out grinning now.

"That's not the point, but we could catch the last five minutes" Mickey shrugs looking hopeful.

"Go on, then. I'm fine, really. Go. Get rid of that" Rose says pointing to the Auton arm on the chair.

Mickey gives Rose a quick kiss before Mickey picks up the arm and heads for the door, turning back towards her to wave the arm at her and saying in a high pitched voice "Bye, bye"

"Bye" Rose laughs as Mickey pretends to be strangled by the arm, then leaves.

~*0*~

Mickey throws the arm into a rubbish bin, looking around over hearing a couple are having a blazing row before he pulls out his phone and calls Astra.

"Hey, you alright I heard you where near the shop when it exploded" Mickey asks the minute she answers.

"I'm fine Mickey, just calming myself down with a good cup of tea and making some cookies for tomorrow" she answers in a soft calm voice that reassures him that she really is alright, knowing that she can't lie to save her life.

They talk for a while before hanging up, Mickey heads off to the pub to watch the footie with some friends.

~*0*~

The next morning Rose's alarm goes off at 7:30 as usual. Smacking her hand down on the buttons to turn it off she sits up looking around wondering what to do with herself.

"There's no point in getting up, sweetheart" Jackie calls as she walks from her bedroom to the kitchen and putting the kettle on "You've got no job to go to"

Realising she was right Rose flops back down in bed, pulls the duvet up over her head and goes back to sleep for a bit.

~*0*~

Astra wakes up at her usual time of 6 o'clock, getting changed into her blue, chequered shirt, black jeans and black ankle cowboy boots. Putting on her make up and doing her hair before she heads to the kitchen deciding she'll make some cookies to take round when she stops off at Rose's to make sure she is OK after last night, before heading out to do her grocery shopping.

After eating a quick breakfast of croissants, jam and a glass of orange juice she sets to work getting out all of her ingredients ready to start baking.

~*0*~

At about 10 o'clock that day Rose was sat at the dinner table with her mother talking about where she can start looking for jobs.

Jackie tries to help saying "There's Finch's. You could try them. They've always got jobs"

"Oh, great. The butchers" Rose answers not really listening to her.

"Well, it might do you good. That shop was giving you airs and graces. And I'm not joking about compensation. You've had genuine shock and trauma. Arianna got two thousand quid off the council just because the old man behind the desk said she looked Greek!" Jackie says walking out of the kitchen before going to get dressed. "I know she is Greek, but that's not the point. It was a valid claim" she calls back over her shoulder.

There was a knock on the door and Rose goes to answer it to see Astra stood there wearing a grey pea coat over her shirt and jeans carrying a box of cookies in her hands.

"I just wanted to see if you where alright" she says to the surprise look on Roses face.

Rose steps aside and lets her in, Astra handing her the box of cookies on the way past.

After closing the door Rose asks "Would you like a brew?" for politeness sake before leaving Astra in the sitting room on her way.

"Tea, Please. Milk and two sugars" she calls as Rose heads to the kitchen to put the kettle on putting the box of cookies on the table.

The cat flap on the door rattles slightly making both Rose and Astra look over to it.

"Mum, you're such a liar. I told you to nail that cat flap down. We're going to get strays" Rose calls to her mum annoyed heading back over to the door.

"I did it weeks back!" Jackie claimed not knowing what she was on about far to used to the way her daughter spoke to her.

"No, you thought about it" Rose answers back distractedly seeing the screws for the cat flap on the floor. Then the flap rattles slightly as Astra walks up behind her. Rose pushes it slightly with her fingers before pushing it open only to see the Doctor looking through it from out side.

Rose stands up quickly and flings open the door not getting chance to say a word as the Doctor says "What're you doing here?"

"I live here" Rose answers the abrupt question slightly shocked.

"Well, what do you do that for?" the Doctor asks routing around for something on his jacket sending a small smile at Astra who was stood behind Rose.

"Because I do. I'm only at home because someone blew up my job" Rose answers defensively.

"I must have got the wrong signal. You're not plastic, are you?" the Doctor raps his knuckles against her forehead "No, bonehead. Bye, then"

Before he could pull away Rose grabs him by the lapel of his leather jacket and pulls him inside the flat "You. Inside. Right now" she demanded.

"Who is it?" Jackie calls from her bedroom having just come out of the shower.

Jackie, who is sat at her dressing table in her bedroom, moisturising looks over to the door as Rose pokes her head round the door.

"It's about last night. He's part of the inquiry. Give us ten minutes" Rose says heading toward the kitchen and leaving Jackie's bedroom door open.

"She deserves compensation" Jackie calls perking up as the Doctor passes into view.

The Doctor leans against the door frame "Oh, we're talking millions" the Doctor says playing along.

Jackie looks him up and down before putting on what was supposed to be a sexy voice "I'm in my dressing gown"

"Yes, you are" the Doctor nods his head not realising what she was implying.

"There's a strange man in my bedroom" she continues thinking he's interested.

"Yes, there is" he replies again.

"Well, anything could happen" Jackie says full of implications.

Only to be shot down by the Doctors immediate "Er... No"

Heading off to the sitting room as Astra walks behind him snickering at him slightly before heading into the kitchen to see if there is anything she can do to help.

"Don't mind the mess. Do you want a brew?" Rose asks as she goes into the kitchen to re boil the kettle.

"Might as well, thanks. Tea just milk"

"We should go to the police. Seriously. All of us"

The Doctor looks at the copy of Heat on the coffee table, flipping through the pages stopping on a picture of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes commenting to himself "That won't last, he's gay and she's an alien" before closing the magazine and putting it back down on the table.

"I'm not blaming you, even if it was just some sort of joke that went wrong" Rose continues to talk as the Doctor picks up a paperback book and flips all the page quickly before tossing it back down.

"Hmm. Sad ending" continues to comment to himself not listening to Rose as she rambles on in the kitchen.

"They said on the news they'd found a body" Rose continues.

"Rose Tyler" he reads off a letter he just picked up putting it down again he catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror and behaves as if he's is just seeing himself for the first time. "Ah, could've been worse. Look at the ears" he says tugging on his ears a bit.

"All the same, he was nice. Nice bloke" Rose still goes on not realising she was being ignored.

The Doctor picks up a pack of cards and starts to shuffle them.

"Luck be a lady" he sings slightly as he shuffles the cards between his hands.

"Anyway, if we are going to go to the police, I want to know what I'm saying" Rose says as Astra enters the sitting room having being waved off by Rose on her offer of help, carrying her box of cookies.

The pack of cards goes flying as the Doctor jerks slightly in surprise at her sudden entrance.. Looking a bit sheepishly at her while she just smiles at him and says "would you like a cookie?"

"I want you to explain everything" Rose goes on now being ignored by the both of them as the Doctor enjoys his cookie.

"Very nice, did you make these?" looking directly into her eyes, having not been able to stop thinking about her from the previous night, at her shy nod he smiles and says "their delicious" earning a quiet "Thank you" from her as her smile grows.

They her a scuffle and they both turn to look at the couch where the noise came from "whats that, then? You got a cat?" the Doctor calls over to Rose.

"No" Rose answers the seemingly random question.

The Doctor bend over the couch slightly to look down the back of it Astra not far behind him when the Auton arm comes flying from behind the back of the couch and latches on to the Doctors neck. Astra cries out in shock before rushing to try and pull the arm off him as he struggle to breath through it's grip.

"We did have, but now they're just strays. They come in off the estate" Rose says coming in from the kitchen with two mugs of coffee taking no notice of the Doctor being straggled as Astra tries to get the arm off him.

"I told Mickey to chuck that out. You're all the same. Give a man a plastic hand. Anyway, I don't even know your name. Doctor, what was it?" She says not even noticing the fact that he is turning red from lack of oxygen.

The Doctor and Astra manage to throw the arm off only for it to stop in mid air catching Roses attention before it grabs Astra's face instead throwing her backwards into the wall knocking a few ornaments of the mantle. The Doctor pulls at it repeatedly before pulling to hard knocking both he and Astra down on top of the coffee table smashing it, Astra on top of him as they continue to try and wrestle the arm off her. The Doctor finally gets it off her by jabbing it with his sonic screwdriver, then jabs the device into its palm. The fingers stop flexing.

"It's all right, I've stopped it. There you go, you see? Armless" tossing the arm to Rose who was stood there not knowing what to do as he turned back to check on Astra.

"I'm fine" she tells him trying to get her breath back, he nods at her as he gets up turning to help her to stand up off the remains of the coffee table.

"Do you think?" Roses says loudly coming out of her shock and hitting him with it.

"Ow!" the Doctor says more out of shock than anything else as he frowns over at Rose before getting up grabbing the arm and heading for the door.

~*0*~

Running down several flights of stairs Astra not far behind him Rose hurries to catch up to them shouting after him." Hold on a minute. You can't just go swanning off"

"Yes I can. Here I am. This is me, swanning off. See you" he says jogging down the stairs Astra keeping up with him as Rose struggles.

"But that arm was moving. It tried to kill us" she exclaimed, making Astra shoot her an incredulous look at the inclusion of herself in that comment.

"Ten out of ten for observation" the Doctor said sarcastically as he continued down the stairs.

"You can't just walk away. That's not fair. You've got to tell me whats going on" Rose demanded.

"No, I don't" the Doctor said in a smug tone reaching the door and letting Astra through before heading out himself.

"All right, then. I'll go to the police. I'll tell everyone. You said, if I did that, I'd get people killed. So, your choice. Tell me, or I'll start talking" Rose said trying to black mail him into telling.

The Doctor wasn't buying it though raising his eyebrow at her he scoffed "Is that supposed to sound tough?"

Looking unsure after his reaction she said "Sort of" in an unsure voice.

"Doesn't work" the Doctor said going back to ignoring her.

"Who are you?" Rose questions changing the topic.

"Told you. The Doctor" the Doctor says exasperated.

"Yeah, but Doctor what?" Rose continues to try and get answers from him.

"Just the Doctor" he says starting to speed as he gets closer to his escape.

"The Doctor" Rose says like she doesn't believe him.

"Hello!" the Doctor says waving mock cheerfully at her getting a bit annoyed at all her questions.

"Is that supposed to sound impressive?" Rose scoffs in disbelief.

"Sort of"

"Come on, then. You can tell me. I've seen enough. Are you the police?" she says in a whining voice.

"No, I was just passing through. I'm a long way from home" is all the Doctor answers.

"But what have I done wrong? How comes those plastic things keep coming after me?" this earns her raised eye brows from both the Doctor and Astra.

"Oh, suddenly the entire world revolves around you. You weren't even attacked,. You where just there, that's all" the Doctor says in a snarky way.

"It tried to kill me" She exclaims forgetting Astra was even there.

"It didn't go anywhere near you" the Doctor scoffs "and besides it was after me, not you. Last night, in the shop, I was there, you blundered in, shouting your head off almost ruined the whole thing. This morning, I was tracking it down, it was tracking me down. The only reason it fixed on your place is 'cos you've both met me"

"So what you're saying is, the entire world revolves around you" Roses says patronisingly.

"Sort of, yeah" the Doctor says ignoring her tone.

"You're full of it" she snorts.

"Pot meet Kettle" Astra mumbles under her breath to herself as the Doctor scoffs.

"But, all this plastic stuff. Who else knows..." only to be interrupted by Astra.

"Never mind that, are people in danger from these Autons?" she asks looking directly at the Doctor.

"No, well yes but, I'm working on it" the Doctor says looking at her "I promise I'll stop them"

"What, you're on your own?" Rose says not wanting to be left out of the conversation and a little bit miffed that the Doctor would answer ___Astra's _question but not hers.

"Well, who else is there? I mean, you lot, all you do is eat chips, go to bed, and watch telly, while all the time, underneath you, there's a war going on" the Doctor continues not even bothering to look at her.

Not liking being brushed off that easily Rose reaches across him and grabs the arm "Okay. Start from the beginning. I mean, if we're going to go with the living plastic, and I don't even believe that, but if we do, how did you kill it?"

"The thing controlling it projects life into the arm. I cut off the signal, dead" the Doctor says as if it should be obvious.

"So that's radio control?" Rose guesses.

"Thought control. Are you all right?" he asks Astra who was looking around worriedly at the small family walking along the opposite side of the street.

"Yeah. So, who's controlling it, then?" Rose interrupts Astra before she can answer but nods as the Doctor continues to look at her wanting her answer.

"Long story" the Doctor waves her off.

"Why shop window dummies though, whats that about?" Astra asks "I mean why would anyone want to take over shops?"

"I know believe me I know, but they want to overthrow the human race and so they control the thing that is the most popular and has lots of it in highly populated areas but is often overlooked, plastic and they will be able to catch you off guard and destroy you. Do you believe me?"

"No" Rose answers the same time Astra says "Yes"

They share look with each other before turning to the Doctor who is smiling at Astra, for some unknown reason is feeling very pleased that this human believes him

Rose stops as he carries on walking "Really, though, Doctor. Tell me, who are you?"

The Doctor looks back at her before deciding what to say "Do you know like we were saying about the Earth revolving? It's like when you were a kid. The first time they tell you the world's turning and you just can't quite believe it because everything looks like it's standing still. I can feel it. The turn of the Earth. The ground beneath our feet is spinning at a thousand miles an hour, and the entire planet is hurtling round the sun at sixty seven thousand miles an hour, and I can feel it. We're falling through space, you and me, clinging to the skin of this tiny little world, and if we let go. That's who I am. Now, forget me, Astra Nyx, Rose Tyler. Go home" he says in a very intense voice hoping this makes her leave him alone, taking the arm away from her without her noticing.

The Doctor walks off towards the blue police box with the arm. As Rose walks off towards another block of flats, Astra stands there watching the Doctor curious as to why he is going into the police box. Suddenly there is a rush of air and a strange noise coming from the place where the police box has just vanished. Rose turns and runs back to try and see what made the noise only to see nothing there. Not even acknowledging Astra she frowns before turning and walking away.

Astra stands there staring at the place the box vanished unable to understand why everything about that man and the box seemed ___so _familiar. It felt like she's seen him in a dream, she just couldn't remember the dream and every time she felt like she was getting close to the answer it just seemed to slip away.

Shaking her head to get rid of those thoughts she turned and headed off to her own flat stopping at a news agents and grocery shop along the way she needed a new job after all.

******AN: So there you go here's the first instalment of my Night Light Chronicles. Hope you like it I'll try to have the next part up as soon as possible. Sarah x**


	2. Rose - Part 2

******Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who.**

******Rose (Part 2)**

"Hey, hey, here's my woman. Kit off!" Mickey says as he answers the door to Rose.

"Shut up" she says with a smile before pushing past him giving him a kiss as she passes.

"Coffee?" he offers.

"Yeah, only if you wash the mug. And I don't mean rinse, I mean wash. Can I use your computer?"

"Yeah. Any excuse to get in the bedroom." Mickey says from in the kitchen before seeming to realise something as calling back to her "Don't read my emails!

Rose starts up the internet before going on typing in the Doctor and getting 17,700,000 results, so she tries typing in Doctor Living Plastic only to receive 55,300 results. Lastly typing Doctor Blue Box and only getting 493 results. The top one says 'Doctor Who? ...do you know this man contact Clive here'. She clicks on the site and there is a fuzzy picture of the Doctor.

~*0*~

Mickey drives Rose to Clive's street in his yellow VW beetle.

"You're not coming in. He's safe. He's got a wife and kids" Rose says, putting a stop to the argument with Mickey about meeting this man.

"Yeah, who told you that? He did. That's exactly what an internet lunatic murderer would say" Mickey says after her as she has already gotten out of the car and is heading over to the right number. One of Clive's neighbours is putting out his black wheelie bin and gives Mickey a nasty look.

Rose knocks on a door across the street. A boy that looks about 14 opens it. "Hello, I've come to see Clive? We've been emailing" she asks politely.

"Dad! It's one of your nutters!" the boy calls over his shoulder as he gives Rose a once over and frowns.

A rather large man comes to the door and says "Oh, sorry. Hello. You must be Rose. I'm Clive, obviously" shaking her hand.

"I'd better tell you now. My boyfriend's waiting in the car, just in case you're going to kill me" Rose laughs slightly.

"No, good point. No murders" Clive chuckles in response taking it in good spirits before waving over at Mickey who is still sat in his car frowning at him.

"Who is it?" shouts a woman's voice from upstairs, presumably his wife.

"Oh, it's something to do with the Doctor. She's been reading the website" Clive shouts back before gesturing for Rose to follow him through to the back "Please, come through. I'm in the shed"

"She? She's read a website about the Doctor? She's a she?" says the woman walking down the stairs with a basket full of washing.

~*0*~

Clive leads the way into a small shed in the back garden, the walls decorated of anything and everything that could possibly be related to the Doctor "A lot of this stuffs quite sensitive. I couldn't just send it to you. People might intercept it, if you know what I mean. If you dig deep enough and keep a lively mind, this Doctor keeps cropping up all over the place. Political diaries, conspiracy theories, even ghost stories. No first name, no last name, just the Doctor. Always The Doctor. And the title seems to have been passed down from father to son. It appears to be an inheritance. That's your Doctor there, isn't it?" he says walking around the table in the shed pulling out an old photograph and showing it to Rose.

"Yeah" Rose answers seeing the same photo that was on the website.

"I tracked it down to the Washington public archive just last year. The online photo's enhanced, but if we look at the original" he says showing her the original photo of the assassination of President Kennedy, the Doctor just one of the faces in the crowd.

"November the 22nd, 1963. The assassination of President Kennedy. You see?" Clive continues excitedly.

"It must be his father" Rose says though she sounds uncertain.

"Going further back. April 1912. This is a photo of the Daniels family of Southampton, and friend. This was taken the day before they were due to sail off for the New World on the Titanic, and for some unknown reason, they cancelled the trip and survived" he says showing her a photo of the Doctor with a family "And here we are. 1883. Another Doctor. And look, the same lineage. It's identical. This one washed up on the coast of Sumatra on the very day Krakatoa exploded" he says showing her a sketch this time "The Doctor is a legend woven throughout history. When disaster comes, he's there. He brings the storm in his wake and he has one constant companion.

"Who's that?" she says slightly scared now.

"Death" he says bluntly "If the Doctor's back, if you've seen him, Rose, then one thing's for certain. We're all in danger"

~*0*~

Out in the street Mickey watches as the wheely bin move towards his car slightly before getting out. He goes to the bin and lifts up the lid shouting "Come on, then." as he looks inside and sees nothing in there.

~*0*~

"If he's singled you out, if the Doctor's making house calls, then God help you." Clive says making Rose even more wary.

~*0*~

Mickey shuts the bin lid and tries to pull his hands away only to find he is stuck to the plastic lid. It stretches from his fingers as he pulls at it, then the bin growls, flexes, snaps and finally whips Mickey inside itself with a loud burp.

~*0*~

"But who is he? Who do you think he is?" Rose questions wanting to know so she can get out of there.

"I think he's the same man. I think he's immortal. I think he's an alien from another world" Clive says confident that his words to the girl would warn her to be careful around the Doctor.

~*0*~

Rose storms away from the house and returns to the car. 'Mickey' is still sitting behind the steering wheel not looking as if he had moved at all while waiting for her.

"All right, he's a nutter. Off his head. Complete online conspiracy freak. You win! What are we going to do tonight? I fancy a pizza" Rose complains as she gets back into the car, not noticing anything different about 'Mickeys' appearance.

"Pizza! P-p-p-pizza!"'Mickey' stutters.

"Or Chinese" Rose muses not paying attention to 'Mickey'

"Pizza!" 'Mickey' states before taking off and weaving dangerously down the road.

~*0*~

Rose and 'Mickey',who is looking a little shiny and stiff with a grin frozen on his face, sat together in one of the more fancy pizza palaces. Having just come from Clive's, a mad conspiracy theorist who thinks the Doctor was an immortal alien who has been spotted in several points of history including the assassination of JFK and apparently warned a family away from going onto the Titanic, and decided to go for something to eat, Rose not noticing anything different about 'Mickey'.

"Do you think I should try the hospital? Suki said they had jobs going in the canteen. Is that it then, dishing out chips. I could do A Levels. I don't know. It's all Jimmy Stone's fault." Rose muttered petulantly "I only left school because of him. Look where he ended up. What do you think?" Rose pause looking up at 'Mickey' waiting for an answer.

"So, where did you meet this Doctor?" 'Mickey' demands completely ignoring Rose's question.

"I'm sorry, wasn't I talking about me for a second?" Rose huffs, miffed at being ignored by her boyfriend.

"Because I reckon it started back at the shop, am I right? Was he something to do with that?" 'Mickey' continues in a more forceful manner now.

"No" Rose says with a shake of her head wanting to get him to stop talking about it and answer her question, not knowing why he seems so interested in the Doctor now anyway.

"Come on" 'Mickey' tries probing further.

"Sort of" Rose shrugs not wanting to talk about it.

"What was he doing there?" 'Mickey' questions aggressively as he grabs her hand pining it to the table.

"I'm not going on about it, Mickey. Really, I'm not, because, I know it sounds daft, but I don't think it's safe. I think he's dangerous." she says to him, not wanting to tell 'Mickey' anything but wanting to find out more for herself.

"But you can trust me, sweetheart. Babe, sugar, babe, sugar. You can tell me anything. Tell me about the Doctor and what he's planning, and I can help you, Rose. Because that's all I really want to do, sweetheart, babe, babe, sugar, sweetheart" His voice changing from normal to high and low in pitch as he spoke and jamming on words like playing a scratched CD.

"What're you doing that for?" Rose says completely baffled by the way he was acting.

"Your champagne" the waiter says politely from behind 'Mickey' showing him the bottle.

"We didn't order any champagne. Where's the Doctor?" 'Mickey' demands squeezing her hand tighter.

"Madam, your champagne" the waiter offers to Rose now.

"It's not ours. Mickey, what is it? whats wrong?" she says waving off the persistent waiter as she tries to free her hand from 'Mickeys' grip.

"I need to find out how much you know, so where is he?" 'Mickey' demands his voice getting louder and more aggressive now catching the attention of the other diners.

"Doesn't anybody want this champagne?" the waiter questions trying to get there attention.

"Look, we didn't order it" 'Mickey' almost growls finally looking up to see that the waiter is the Doctor "Ah. Gotcha" he says sounding satisfied.

The Doctor starts shaking the champagne bottle vigorously saying "Don't mind me. I'm just toasting the happy couple" aiming the bottle at 'Mickey' "On the house!" The Doctor releases the cage around the cork and it flies into 'Mickey's' forehead. It hits him with the sound of bouncing rubber few moments after it enters his forehead he seems to be manoeuvring it around from inside his head before he spits it out of his mouth.

"Anyway" 'Mickey' says as he gets up and turns his hand into a chopper. Rose flees over to the bar, screaming, as Mickey wrecks the tables around the restaurant. The Doctor grabs the Auton in a head lock, and after a few tugs pulls off its head.

The rest of the customers are screaming and start running around trying to get away from the thing destroying everything insight "Don't think that's going to stop me" the head speaks as the Doctor holds it between two hands making the man behind them scream like a girl. The body gets up and starts flailing around causing a lot more damage to the place. Suddenly Astra comes out from the back of the bar wearing a suit and sets off the fire alarm yelling "Everyone out! Out now! Get out! Get out! Get out!" directing people to the fire exit at the side away, leading them away from the danger.

Rose runs towards the back closely followed by the Doctor who grabs Astra's hand on the way past, they run through the kitchens carrying the head, while the body wrecks the restaurant behind them before lumbering after them to the back exit.

~*0*~

Rushing out the back door the Doctor seals the door shut while Rose runs down the alley, past the same blue police box and to the end where there is a double gate secured by padlocks.

"Open the gate! Use that tube thing. Come on!" she cries hysterically, scared out of her mind.

"Sonic screwdriver" he says waving it at Rose before turning to Astra and asking "where did you come from?"

Ignoring Roses shouts of "Use it!" she answers "There is, well was waitress job going" gesturing vaguely towards the now ruined restaurant.

"Ah" He says nodding "Tell you what, let's go in here" gesturing to the police box with his head and leading Astra over to it.

The Doctor unlocks the police box and goes inside dragging Astra in before she has a chance to protest, in behind him while the Auton hammers on the metal door, making large dents.

They can vaguely hear Rose's shout of "You can't hide inside a wooden box. It's going to get us! Doctor!" but the Doctor is more focused on Astra's surprising reaction, as she looked around the room she showed very little reaction apart from the slight widening of her eyes at the shear size of of the inside of such a small box.

Astra wasn't paying attention to him though, stood at the top of the steps and gazing around the room she couldn't place the feeling of familiarity even though she was sure she had never seen a room like it. A huge dome shaped room that looks almost organic in texture with hexagon shapes embossed in the walls, the entire room looks like it was being held up by a variety of coral like Y shaped beams, it would have been dark in lighting if it wasn't for the glowing blue cylinder in the centre that leads down to what looks like a control console that looked like it was made up of various odds and ends from a bicycle pump handle to a spiral corded telephone and also included a monitor which displayed a circular pattern and was covered in sticky notes.

Rose tries the gate again then runs inside the box almost running into Astra as she runs up the steps. She stops, takes one look around the vast room inside before immediately turning and running back outside again. Backing away quickly before turning to run around the box noting its size and how impossible it should be to fit the enormous room she saw in such a tiny box then when the Auton finally smashes through the metal door, she makes up her mind and runs into the box.

"It's going to follow us!" Rose says as she enters the box swallowing slightly in intimidation at the sight before her and resisting the urge to run out again.

"The assembled hoards of Genghis Khan couldn't get through that door, and believe me, they've tried. Now, shut up a minute!" the Doctor says as he sonic's the head then wiring it up to the console before coming to a stop next to Astra who was leaning slightly against the console watching what he was doing.

"You see, the arm was too simple, but the head's perfect. I can use it to trace the signal back to the original source. Right. Where do you want to start?" the Doctor explains to Astra not really paying attention to Rose.

"Er, the insides bigger than the outside?" Rose interrupts.

"Yep" the Doctor says fiddling with the console, turning to Rose with a sigh when Astra nudges him.

"It's alien" Rose says her voice breathless as she tried to grasp what she is hearing.

"Yeah" was all the Doctor answered enjoying her reaction.

"Are you alien?" Rose said in disbelief

"Yes. Is that all right?" the Doctor asked Astra.

Astra lip form into a cheeky smile and says "It explains the ears" making the Doctor shoot her a playful smirk.

"Yeah" Rose answered looking around again, not noticing that the question was towards Astra not her.

"It's called the TARDIS, this thing. S. That's Time And Relative Dimension In Space" Astra flinches slightly as his words send a sharp pain stabbing through her head and a voice _this is a type 40 TARDIS... grown by specialists... travel through Time and Space..._, the pain and the voice disappearing as quickly as they came leaving her confused and curious about what just was said as it trickled out of her head like a dream, when Rose burst into loud dramatic sobs catching both of there attention.

"That's okay. Culture shock. Happens to the best of us" the Doctor says trying to be sympathetic and not really succeeding.

"Did they kill him? Mickey? Did they kill Mickey? Is he dead?" Rose sniffles.

"Oh. I didn't think of that" the Doctor says frowning slightly in thought.

"He's my boyfriend. You pulled off his head. They copied him and you didn't even think?" Rose starts only to be interrupted.

"Doctor is it supposed to be melting?" Astra asks abruptly, slightly alarmed and more than a little bit fascinated.

"Melt?" the Doctor says whipping round quickly to see the head melting into the console. "Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" the Doctor chants as he runs around the console setting the TARDIS in motion.

"What're you doing?" Rose shouts over the noise.

"Following the signal. It's fading. Wait a minute, I've got it. No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Almost there. Almost there. Here we go!" He says running round the console and for the door, grabbing Astra's hand and pulling her out with him.

"You can't go out there. It's not safe" Rose yells but not wanting to be left alone follows anyway only to see that they had moved to the south bank of the river Thames.

~*0*~

"I lost the signal, I got so close" the Doctor grumbles walking over to the wall of the bridge over looking the Thames pulling Astra with him.

"We've moved. Does it fly?" Rose asks her voice going high in her incredulity.

"Disappears there and reappears here. You wouldn't understand" the Doctor says in exasperation.

"If we're somewhere else, what about that headless thing? It's still on the loose" says Rose trying to calm down after seeing that Astra seemed calm and was just leaning against the wall looking around curiously, not liking the fact that she was calm while she, herself was freaking out.

"It melted with the head. Are you going to witter on all night?" the Doctor huffs.

"I'll have to tell his mother" At the Doctors questioning look she says louder and higher "Mickey. I'll have to tell his mother he's dead, and you just went and forgot him, again! You were right, you are alien" Rose rants pointing at the Doctor as he just continues to scan the surroundings area as if he was looking for something.

"Look, if I did forget some kid called Mickey" the Doctor starts in a loud annoyed.

"Yeah, he's not a kid" Rose tries to shout over him.

"It's because I'm trying to save the life of every stupid ape blundering on top of this

planet, all right?" the Doctor carries on annoyed and pretending not to hear Roses interruption.

"All right" Rose shouts a little hysterically.

"Yes, it is!" The Doctor says Glaring at her a little.

Rose then decides to change tactics "If you are an alien, how comes you sound like you're from the North?"

"Lots of planets have a north" the Doctor answers confused while Astra stares at her in shock, wondering how she could go from worrying about Mickeys death to the Doctors accent.

"Whats a police public call box?" Rose continues to question completely oblivious to the looks of confusion the other two are sending her way.

"It's a telephone box from the 1950s. It's a disguise" he says wandering over and patting the TARDIS fondly, wondering why she's curious about that when he's just told her he's trying to save the entire planet.

"Okay. And this, this living plastic. whats it got against us?" Rose says actually catching on to the fact he was getting annoyed with her irrelevant questions.

"Nothing. It loves you. You've got such a good planet. Lots of smoke and oil, plenty of toxins and dioxins in the air, perfect. Just what the Nestene Consciousness needs. It's food stock was destroyed in the war, all its protein plants rotted, so Earth, dinner!" the Doctor says far too cheerfully, miming eating with a knife and fork.

"Is there any way of stopping it?" Astra asks.

The Doctor pulls out a test tube of blue liquid from inside his leather jacket and holds it up to her "Anti-plastic" he says to her questioning look "But first I've got to find it. How can you hide something that big in a city this small?"

"Hide what?" Astra asks "What exactly is it that your looking for?"

"The transmitter. The Consciousness is controlling every single piece of plastic, so it needs a transmitter to boost the signal" the Doctor says walking back over to her and looking out over the river.

"What would it look like?" Astra asks looking up at the London Eye having an idea.

"Like a transmitter. Round and massive, slap bang in the middle of London. A huge circular metal structure like a dish, like a wheel. Radial. Close to where we're standing. Must be completely invisible. What? What?" he stumbles to a stop as Astra nods her head pointing out the Eye.

The Doctor turns and looks trying to see what Astra is staring at on the south bank but he doesn't seem to get it.

"What? What is it? What?" he says turning to look again as Astra points and moves her arm in a circle following the shape of the Eye, before he finally catches on to what she is looking at.

"Oh. Fantastic!" the Doctor cries as he grabs Astra hand and pulls her along as they run across Westminster Bridge, Rose trailing along behind them trying to keep up.

"Think of it, plastic all over the world, every artificial thing waiting to come alive. The

shop window dummies,"

"the phones,"

"the mp3 players"

"the televisions"

"the computers"

"the wires,"

"the cables"

The Doctor and Astra alternate not seeming to realise what they where doing it.

"The breast implants" Rose puts in trying to be helpful but only succeeding in making Astra shoot her a considering look.

"Still, we've found the transmitter. The Consciousness must be somewhere underneath" the Doctor goes on seemingly ignoring Roses input.

Astra runs over to the parapet that overlooks the base of the eye and looks down to see a large man hole entrance at the bottom of some stone steps "What about down here?" she calls back to the Doctor over her shoulder.

The Doctor runs over to join her looking over her shoulder "Looks good to me" her says as he grabs her hand and leads her down the steps to the entrance.

Opening the door and looking down they can see nothing but a short ladder and a bright red light that seems to be emanating from further inside.

~*0*~

They climbed down the short ladder into a brick-built area with lots of chains. From there they go through a door and down a flight of steps into a multi-level chamber. Looking down they see a giant hole in the floor that is filled with what looks like really hot, melted, orange plastic that seemed to be almost steaming.

"The Nestene Consciousness. That's it, inside the vat. A living plastic creature" the Doctor whispers slightly to Astra who is stood next to him.

"Well, then. Tip in your anti-plastic and let's go" Rose says slightly out of breath and getting ready to run, not wanting to be in here.

"I'm not here to kill it. I've got to give it a chance" the Doctor sneers at her giving her a look of disgust.

He goes down some stairs to a steel catwalk overlooking the seething vat taking Astra with him, not noticing that she is shaking a little and trying not to look down "I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract according to convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation" he announces.

The Consciousness flexes and gurgles in answer and the Doctor replies as if he can understand "Thank you. If I might have permission to approach?"

Rose slowly follows the two down a level before spotting Mickey and running over to him with a loud shout of "Oh, God! Mickey, it's me! It's okay. It's all right".

"That thing down there, the liquid. Rose, it can talk!" Mickey whimpers putting a finger to his lips and trying to hush her as she reaches him.

"You're stinking. Doctor, they kept him alive" Rose shouts over to the Doctor despite the fact that he is busy.

"Yeah, that was always a possibility. Keep him alive to maintain the copy" the Doctor answers off handedly earning him a slap on the arm from Astra.

"You knew that and you never said?" Rose retorts offended.

"Can we keep the domestics outside, thank you?" the Doctor replies frustrated that she keeps moaning about not telling her something when he is trying to stop the Consciousness from taking over their world.

The Doctor continues down another level, keeping a firm hold on Astra's hand as he reaches the platform directly above the vat, finally noticing her shaking he pulls her closer squeezing her hand reassuringly.

"Am I addressing the Consciousness? Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilisation by means of warp shunt technology. So, may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off?" the Doctor questions in a mockingly cheerful voice.

A sort of face forms in the vat of plastic as it gurgle and bubbles its reply.

"Oh, don't give me that. It's an invasion, plain and simple. Don't talk about constitutional rights" the Doctor says to the Consciousness as it apparently tries to justify itself.

"I am talking!" the Doctor commands in a loud, firm voice "This planet is just starting. These stupid little people have only just learnt how to walk, but they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf. Please, just go" the Doctor exclaims in an almost irritated voice

"Doctor!" Rose shout a little to late as a pair of shop dummies grab the Doctor and Astra from behind earning a little scream of shock from Astra. The one holding her takes the vial of anti-plastic from the Doctors pocket and holds it up for the Consciousness to see.

"That was just insurance. I wasn't going to use it. I was not attacking you. I'm here to help. I'm not your enemy. I swear, I'm not" the Doctor says slightly panicking as the Consciousness roars in anger "What do you mean?" the Doctor questions panicking further as a door slide open to reveal the TARDIS.

"No. Oh, no. Honestly, no. Yes, that's my ship. That's not true. I should know, I was there. I fought in the war. It wasn't my fault. I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them!" the Doctor pleads with the Consciousness sounding desperate.

"whats it doing?!" Rose shouts in horror.

"It's the TARDIS! The Nestene's identified its superior technology. It's terrified. It's going to the final phase. It's starting the invasion! Get out, Rose! Just leg it now!" the Doctor warns Rose, not really liking the girl but not wanting her to die this way.

As the plastic in the vat keeps roaring at the Doctor, Rose pulls out her phone and calls her mother.

"Mum?" he hears Rose say down the phone in the back ground before shaking his head and rolling his eyes he turns back to the vat.

A huge amount of energy starts building up creating a dome over the vat as a giant bolt of energy launches straight up through the base of the London Eye.

"It's the activation signal. It's transmitting!" the Doctor says to Astra as they both try to shake the Autons off of them.

Outside the London Eye starts crackling with blue energy.

"It's the end of the world" Rose whimpers trembling.

The plastic in the vat is getting extremely agitated as the signal starts broadcasting from the Eye.

"The stairs have gone" Rose shouts hysterically as she finally tries to look for an escape.

The Autons try to push Astra and the Doctor into the vat as Rose and Mickey run to the TARDIS.

Shaking the handle to try and get the doors open she shrieks "I haven't got the key!"

"We're going to die!" Mickey moans as he and Rose huddle near the base of the TARDIS.

Rose stands up and peers down at the Doctor and Astra as Mickey clings to her leg staring down in horror before looking around trying to find something to help.

Astra and the Doctor both finally manage to shake the Auton off of them, sending them both and the vial of anti-plastic into the vat, they would have taken Astra with them if the Doctor hadn't caught and steadied her in time. The Consciousness screams as it starts to turn blue and crack with the same energy it was just broadcasting.

"Now we're in trouble" the Doctor says holding Astra pressed up against him grinning at her as she smile excitedly back.

Explosions start and the signals from the Eye stop. The Doctor and Astra run to the TARDIS, where Mickey is holding onto Rose for dear life, and they all rush to get inside. The TARDIS de-materialises just as the pipes on the ceiling start to explode and chunks of the concrete ceiling start falling down.

~*0*~

The TARDIS materialises on the Embankment by a row of shuttered kiosks and Mickey runs out, terrified wanting to get as far away from the TARDIS as possible.

Rose walks out calling her mum, Jackie answers "Rose, Rose, don't go out of the house. It's not safe. There were these things, and they were shooting! And they" but Jackie doesn't get to finish as Rose has hang up the phone on her laughing slightly. She goes over to Mickey, who is trying to hide behind a pallet and tries to get him to stand up murmuring "fat lot of good you where".

Astra walks out of the TARDIS straightening out her slightly ruffled clothing looking perfectly fine, watching them and chuckling as the Doctor stays in the doorway of the TARDIS leaning against its frame as he looks toward Astra.

"Nestene Consciousness? Easy." he smiles at her snapping his fingers as she rolls her eyes at him smiling slightly.

"Sure it was, the fact that we spent the majority of the time held down and I was the one who knocked the Auton holding the anti-plastic in the vat was absolutely no help what's so ever" she replies a little sarcastically with a playful smile on her face "face it you'd be dead without me there"

"Yep, yes I would" the Doctor says sincerely "Thank you. Right then, I'll be off, unless, er, I don't know, you could come with me. This box isn't just a London hopper, you know. It goes anywhere in the universe free of charge" He says smiling hopefully at Astra.

Rose, deciding she did NOT like the fact he was only speaking to Astra, butts in before Astra can say a word "What 'bout me? I helped too" she says, not really paying attention to the fact that she did nothing but huddle near the TARDIS.

"Alright One trip" he says waving his hands defensively not in the mood to argue "and he's not invited" he says to Rose pointing at Mickey, turning back to Astra "What do you think? You could stay here, fill your life with work and food and sleep, or you could go anywhere"

"Is it always this dangerous?" She asks smiling a bit.

"Yeah" the Doctor says seeing that smile and finds himself unable to resist returning it.

Rose interrupts again by pushing past the both of them and walking into the TARDIS like she owns the place.

"Well?" the Doctor asks shaking off his annoyance before remembering "By the way, did I mention it also travels in time?"

Astra smiles at him and says cheekily "As long as we can go pick up some of my stuff first?"

The Doctor grabs her hand and drags her inside, pulling her up over to the console ignoring Rose who stood on the other side, setting everything up ready to go before remembering "Whats your address again?" he asks looking over at her sheepishly as she laughs at him.

******AN: Just to let you know I do an episode at a time then split them in half edit then post so the time between each episode will be longer than the 2 parts of the same episode. (Hopefully that made sense)**

******I have finally decided on the finished cover for this story, I hope you like it :)**

******Hope you like it, let me know what you think, Sarah x :)**


	3. The End of the World - Part 1

******Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who.**

******The End of the World (Part 1)**

The TARDIS materialises inside Astra's flat as she runs out and into her bedroom to pack her stuff. The Doctor follows her out but pauses in the living room and deciding to have a look around.

Grabbing a suitcase and a gym bag from the wardrobe and putting them on the bed before rushing around packing up all her clothing, jewellery, handbags and other more personal effects. She paused before deciding to have a quick wash and changing out of her slightly ragged suit, cleaning up then deciding to change into a blue dress, with a blue short sleeved shawl cardigan and some small blue heels.

Having finished she walked back to the sitting room and dropping her case near the TARDIS before walking past the Doctor, who is looking over her book shelves with interest, ignoring Rose as she chattering away at him. She goes into the kitchen and puts the chocolate cupcakes into a big Tupperware box and grabs her blue handbag before heading back to the Doctor who was now paying attention and waiting to help her carry her stuff into the TARDIS.

~*0*~

Leading her to a room the TARDIS created for her and putting all her stuff on the bed to put away later she took a look around the room, it had a calm purple coloured walls with a red fluffy carpet, the room containing a very comfortable looking four poster bed and bedside table along with a comfy arm chair next to a log fire and some book shelves, along with a mirrored wardrobe and chest of draws to put all her stuff, and a door leading to the adjacent bathroom.

They made their way back to the console room the Doctor runs down the steps to the platform with a clap of his hands and says "Right then, you two, you tell me. Where do you want to go? Backwards or forwards in time. It's your choice. What's it going to be?"

"Forwards" Rose jumps in even though the Doctor was mainly asking Astra the question.

"How far?" he sighs turning to Rose as Astra nudges him, he couldn't seem to help it though he didn't like the way she kept brushing Astra off as nothing, he was... protective of the girl, he just didn't know why.

"One hundred years" Rose phrasing it like a question.

The Doctor sets several controls and then after a few seconds of travel the Doctor gestures to the door "There you go. Step outside those doors, it's the twenty second century"

"You're kidding" Rose says incredulously

"That's a bit boring though isn't it. Can we go further?" Astra asks smiling at him challengingly making him smile as well.

"Fine by me" the Doctor says resetting the coordinates and sending them travelling again "Ten thousand years in the future. Step outside, it's the year 12005, the new Roman Empire" the Doctor announces impressively gesturing out the door again.

"You think you're so impressive" Astra says with a playful smirk.

"I am so impressive" the Doctor says mock offended.

"You wish" Astra says laughing.

"Right then, you asked for it. I know exactly where to go. Hold on!" the Doctor says setting the TARDIS on course, making everyone cling to the console at the risk of getting thrown about.

"Where are we? What's out there?" Astra says excited looking between the door and the Doctor as he gestures for her to go ahead.

~*0*~

The TARDIS had materialised in a room on top of a flight of steps that leads down to a large shutter in the wall that descends to reveal an orbital view of the Earth. Rose runs out as soon as they land pausing at the sight before going slowly down the steps gazing around the room eyes wide and jaw dropped.

Astra and the Doctor follow her out walking slowly over to the window, Astra still carrying her box of cup cakes was looking around in interest "You lot, you spend all your time thinking about dying, like you're going to get killed by eggs or beef or global warming or asteroids. But you never take time to imagine the impossible, that maybe you survive. This is the year five point five slash apple slash twenty six. Five billion years in your future, and this is the day" the Doctor pauses looking down at his wrist watch "Hold on"

They watch as the sun flares and turns red.

"This is the day the Sun expands. Welcome to the end of the world" he says looking down slightly at Astra

~*0*~

A pair of small spaceships approach a large space station that looks like a crucifix hanging in Earth orbit.

"Shuttles five and six now docking. Guests are reminded that Platform One forbids the use of weapons, teleportation and religion. Earth Death is scheduled for fifteen thirty nine." A computerised voice announces "Followed by drinks in the Manchester Suite"

The Doctor and Astra walk along a corridor inside the space station with Rose trailing behind looking around herself while the two in front of her talk.

"So, when it says guests, does that mean people?" Astra asks curiously

"Depends what you mean by people" the Doctor asks.

"I, well, humans I suppose. What do you mean?" Astra stumble slightly not having really thought about it.

"Aliens" the Doctor says bluntly, noticing the way her eyes light up in interest, he smiles.

"What are they doing on board this spaceship? What's it all for?" Rose asks from behind them finally snapping out of her shock.

"It's not really a spaceship, more like an observation deck. The great and the good are gathering to watch the planet burn" the Doctor says using his sonic screwdriver on a wall panel.

"What for?" Rose asks confused.

"Fun" the Doctor says as the door slides open.

~*0*~

"When you say the great and the good" Astra asks suspiciously as they enter another room, having a feeling she knew what he meant before catching sight of the room they have entered and gazing around fascinated, there was a large area spread out before them with a few display cases containing a few items from their current time on Earth and a view of space to the front and above them.

"What I mean is, the rich" he says nodding his head seeing something behind her eyes that said she was only looking for confirmation.

"Wait a minute. They did this once on the National Geographic channel. The sun expanding, the end of the Earth, that takes millions of years. Does that mean that we are millions of years in the future?" Astra says more curious than concerned.

"Millions yup, but the planet's now property of the National Trust. They've been keeping it preserved. See down there? Gravity satellites holding back the sun" he says pointing out the window to the satellites surrounding Earth.

"The planet looks the same as ever. I thought the continents shifted and the icecaps melted and well probably more stuff between then and now" Astra questions.

"They did, and the Trust shifted them back" the Doctor nodded towards the window "That's a classic Earth. But now the money's run out, nature takes over" not minding answering her questions as she seemed genuinely curious and not just being rude or stupid.

"How long has it got left?" Astra asks looking down at it.

The Doctor looks at his watch "About half an hour and then the planet gets roasted" seemingly enjoying himself.

Astra grabbed his arm to look at his watch raising her eyebrow at him in question once she sees the same strange circular pattern on it that she saw on the monitor in the TARDIS, ignoring the niggling in the back of her mind when she saw the watch.

"It's from my home planet, it changes to suit the space/time co ordinates of where ever you land so you can always tell what time your at" the Doctor says with a melancholic smile at the curious human, remembering the girl who had made it for him, she was equally curious, getting irritated when her watch was rendered useless when on other planets, then setting about making two of these watches one each, defending herself when he questioned her by saying its always useful to be able to tell the time no matter where or when you are, and she was right, as she so often was.

"Is that why we're here? I mean, is that what you do? Jump in at the last minute and save the Earth?" Rose asks sounding so sure that he was going to say yes.

"I'm not saving it. Time's up" the Doctor says bluntly.

"Are there any people still down there?" Astra asks just wanting to make sure.

"No, It's empty. They're all gone. No one left" the Doctor says smiling at her.

"Just me, then" Rose mumble to herself not really paying attention to the pair as she looked out the window.

A blue-skinned person with golden snake like slits for eyes strides towards them wearing a patterned suit and a skull cap calling out in surprise "Who the hell are you?"

"Oh, that's nice, thanks" the Doctor says not all that bothered.

"But how did you get in? This is a maximum hospitality zone. The guests have disembarked. They're on their way any second now" the Steward stutters panicking slightly, not sure whether they should be here or not.

"That's me. I'm a guest. Look, I've got an invitation" He says holding up a leather wallet with what looks like a blank piece of paper in it "Look. There, you see? It's fine, you see? The Doctor plus two. I'm the Doctor, this is Astra Nyx and Rose Tyler. They're my plus two. Is that all right?" the Doctor says.

The Doctor closes the wallet containing a piece of the apparently blank paper he was showing to the steward as the man backtracks saying "Well, obviously. Apologies, etcetera. If you're on board, we'd better start. Enjoy"

The Steward hurries over to a glass podium that holds a microphone.

"The paper's slightly psychic. It shows them whatever I want them to see. Saves a lot of time" the Doctor says to Astra waving the wallet at her.

"He's blue" Rose mutters loud enough for the Doctor to hear.

"Yeah" he nods distractedly

"Okay" she breathes shocked.

"We have in attendance the Doctor, Astra Nyx and Rose Tyler. Thank you. All staff to their positions" the Steward announces over what Astra assumes to be hidden loud speakers as the Doctor waves at him slightly.

A lot of small blue people appear dressed in leather suits and wearing crash helmets.

"Hurry, now, thank you. Quick as we can. Come along, come along. And now, might I introduce the next honoured guest? Representing the Forest of Cheam, we have trees, namely, Jabe, Lute and Coffa" he announces as a bark-skinned woman enters with two larger male escorts.

"There will be an exchange of gifts representing peace. If you could keep the room circulating, thank you. Next, from the solicitors Jolco and Jolco, we have the Moxx of Balhoon" he announces next as another little blue alien enters, this time mostly head and body with little spindly legs and arms, sitting on a transport pod.

"And next, from Financial Family Seven, we have the Adherents of the Repeated Mean" he announces next as a group of five black robed aliens enter.

"The inventors of Hypo-slip Travel Systems, the brothers Hop Pyleen. Thank you" he announces next as two fur clad reptilians enter. The announcement continues "Cal Spark Plug." a pair of alien wearing domed shaped hooded robe enter, "Mister and Mrs Pakoo." another pair of aliens that appear to have birds heads enters, "The Ambassadors from the City State of Binding Light" as another pair of robe clad aliens enter this time with rather enlarged heads.

The trees go up to the Doctor, Astra and Rose and the female speaks "The Gift of Peace. I bring you a cutting of my Grandfather" as she gives the Doctor a rooted twig in a small pot.

"Thank you. Yes, gifts. Er," the Doctor says patting his pockets before straightening "I give you in return air from my lungs" breathing gently on Jabe.

"How intimate" Jabe says flirtatiously.

"There's more where that came from" the Doctor says not getting it.

"I bet there is" She says suggestively before turning to walk away.

"Would you like a cup cake?" Astra offers before they walk off, opening the box for them as they take a couple.

"From the Silver Devastation, the sponsor of the main event, please welcome the Face of Boe" they hear announced focusing them on the doors again as a large glass case barely makes it through the doorway, containing a giant old looking humanoid head with straggly hair and squinting eyes.

"The Moxx of Balhoon" the Doctor exclaims, passing the plant pot to Rose, as they are approached by the small blue alien on a transport pod.

"My felicitations on this historical happen stance. I give you the gift of bodily saliva's" he says before his spit hits Rose in the face making the Doctor laugh a little.

"Thank you very much" the Doctor says as the alien takes the cupcake Astra offers.

The black-robed group glide up "Ah! The Adherents of the Repeated Mean. I bring you air from my lungs" the Doctor says breathing all over them.

A large metal hand holds out a ball to them "A gift of peace in all good faith" the figure stood in front of them says in a breathy mechanical voice handing over a metal ball which the Doctor throws up and catches it before immediately passing it over to Rose and glaring after the Adherents slightly as he sees them ignore Astra's offer of some cupcakes.

"And last but not least, our very special guest. Ladies and gentlemen, and trees and multi forms, consider the Earth below. In memory of this dying world, we call forth the last Human. The Lady Cassandra O'Brien Dot Delta Seventeen" A face in a piece of thin skin stretched in a rectangular frame with a brain in a jar attached to the base is wheeled in by two men hidden in top-to-toe hospital whites.

"Oh, now, don't stare. I know, I know it's shocking, isn't it? I've had my chin completely taken away and look at the difference. Look how thin I am. Thin and dainty. I don't look a day over two thousand. Moisturise me. Moisturise me" the piece of skin orders.

One of her attendants uses a pump that is attached to a canister on its back and sprays on the stretched skin.

"Truly, I am the last Human. My father was a Texan, my mother was from the Arctic Desert." Cassandra starts as Rose walks around the back of her "They were born on the Earth and were the last to be buried in its soil. I have come to honour them and say goodbye" Cassandra says as the other attendant pulls out a tissue ad wipes her eyes for her "Oh, no tears, no tears. I'm sorry. But behold, I bring gifts. From Earth itself, the last remaining ostrich egg" she says as a little blue alien carries out the Ostrich egg on a dark velvet cushion "Legend says it had a wingspan of fifty feet and blew fire from its nostrils. Or was that my third husband? Oh, no. Oh, don't laugh. I'll get laughter lines. And here, another rarity"

By now Rose has managed to get around to see the back of Cassandra, seeing just how thin she is she wrinkles her nose up in disgust just as a 50's jukebox is wheeled in.

"According to the archives, this was called an iPod. It stores classical music from humanity's greatest composers. Play on!" Cassandra orders one of the little blue alien and he goes and presses a button, a 45 is selected and the strains of Tainted Love by Soft Cell ring out, as the Doctor moves his head around in time with the music making Astra giggle at him.

"Refreshments will now be served. Earth Death in thirty minutes" the Steward announces.

Rose, finally not being able to take all the aliens, runs out. The Doctor sighs before taking Astra's hand and following her, but gets intercepted by Jabe "Doctor?" she says getting him to look at her as the device, presumably a camera, she is holding flashes taking a 3D picture of him "Thank you" she says politely as she watches him carry on toward the door.

As they pass they hear the Adherent say "A gift of peace in all good faith" offering one of the metal balls to the Steward.

"No, you're very kind, but I'm just the Steward" he tries to wave them off

"A gift of peace in all good faith" they persist

As the Steward takes it resignedly saying "Well, yes, thank you. Of course"

Jabe consults her camera, which twitters like a bird "Identify species. Please identify species. Now stop it. Identify his race. Where's he from?" she says as the device seems to refuse to answer "It's impossible" she says as the device reluctantly reveals the results. She hurries away not noticing one of the Adherent's gifts has been placed on a shelf in a display stand. It opens, and a four-legged metal spider is revealed it looks around before it scurries away.

~*0*~

Rose ended up in a side room with a smaller window that was overlooking the growing Sun. As she stands there looking out, a young woman of the same race as the Steward comes round the corner wearing overalls and a baseball cap.

As the alien clears her throat causing Rose to whip around and says after a moments surprise "Sorry. Am I allowed to be in here?"

"You have to give us permission to talk" the alien says in an under tone.

"Oh, Er, you have permission." Rose stutters slightly.

The alien smiles and says "Thank you. And, no, you're not in the way. Guests are allowed anywhere" before heading over to a panel on the wall and unlocking it.

"Okay. What's your name?" Rose questions

"Raffalo" the Alien says quite surprised, far to used to being ignored.

"Raffalo?" Rose pronounces carefully

"Yes, miss. I won't be long, I've just got to carry out some maintenance. There's a tiny little glitch in the Face of Boe's suite. There must be something blocking the system. He's not getting any hot water" she says looking into the vent that she unlocked.

"So, you're a plumber?" Rose questions quite relieved that there is something normal still around.

"That's right, miss" she nods looking over at her with a smile.

"They still have plumbers?" Rose questions to herself.

"I hope so, else I'm out of a job" Raffalo says chuckling.

"Where are you from?" Rose asks, knowing she probably wont recognise anything she says.

"Crespallion" Raffalo says.

"That's a planet, is it?" Rose asks trying not to sound like she doesn't know anything.

"No. Crespallion's part of the Jaggit Brocade, affiliated to the Scarlet Junction, Convex fifty six. And where are you from, miss? If you don't mind me asking" she tags on quickly knowing some people wouldn't want to be questioned by the maintenance staff.

"No, not at all. Er, I don't know. A long way away. I just sort of hitched a lift with this man. I didn't even think about it. I don't even know who he is. He's a complete stranger. Anyway, don't let me keep you. Good luck with it" Rose rambles towards the end as she realises she basically ran away with a stranger.

"Thank you, miss. And er, thank you for the permission. Not many people are that considerate" Raffalo thanked her.

"Okay. See you later" Rose waves slightly as she walks off out of the room.

Raffalo removes the wall panel to have a proper look inside.

"Now then. Control, I'm at junction nineteen and I think the problem's coming from in here. I'll go inside and have a look" she says talking into a walkie talkie like device.

Before she can crawl into the conduit, there is a tapping sound of metal on metal.

"What's that? Is something in there?" Raffalo shouts down it.

A metal spider with a red light on the front comes into view and walks a bit towards her.

"Oh! Who are you, then?" Raffalo asks nicely, only causing it to scuttle away.

"Hold on! I if you're an upgrade I just need to register you, that's all. Oh, come back" she calls down the shaft, getting further inside the conduit.

"Ah, there you are" she says relieved as the spider comes back into view "Now, I just need to register your identity Oh, there's two of you" she says as another scuttles into view "Got yourself a little mate. I think I'd better report this to Control. How many of you are there? What are you? Oh, no, no, no!" she yells as she gets dragged inside the conduit.

~*0*~

The Steward makes his way into his office and puts his gift on a side table, before sitting at his desk just as the computer beeps and burbles at him.

"What's that? Well, how should I know?" he says talking to his computer.

He turns on the tannoy and says "Would the owner of the blue box in private gallery fifteen please report to the Steward's office immediately. Guests are reminded that use of teleportation devices is strictly forbidden under Peace Treaty five point four slash cup slash sixteen. Thank you"

The ball hatches another metal spider which looks around before scuttling off.

~*0*~

"Earth Death in twenty five minutes" the computerised voice announces.

Rose somehow manages to get back to the room they where in earlier and sat on the platform playing with the ball.

"Earth Death in twenty five minutes" the computerised voice repeats.

"Oh, thanks" Rose sighs as she puts the ball down slightly behind her and picking up the plant pot.

"Hello. My name's Rose. That's a sort of plant. We might be related. I'm talking to a twig" she says talking to the plant pot, not noticing when the ball hatches and a metal spider climbs out of it.

~*0*~

The little assistants are wheeling the TARDIS away down the opposite corridor just as the Doctor and Astra passes by.

"Oi, now, careful with that. Park it properly. No scratches" the Doctor says pointing to them, one of them hurries over and hands the Doctor a ticket that seems to be an alien language until its in the Doctors hand it seems to translate into 'Have A Nice Day' neither of them noticing when a pair of spiders scuttle along the ceiling.

"That had something to do with the fact I can hear English even though they where all Alien doesn't it?" Astra asks.

The Doctor smiles at her with a nod of his head says "Yup, that's the TARDIS translation circuit, it translates almost everything"

"Cool" Astra says making a mental note to test that later.

~*0*~

The spider scans Rose's hand then scuttles away just as the Doctor calls out."Rose? Are you in there?" entering the room and sitting down with Astra on the platform on the opposite side of the stair case "Aye, aye. What do you think, then?" he says gesturing around them.

"Great. Yeah, fine. Once you get past the slightly psychic paper. They're just so alien. The aliens are so alien. You look at 'em and they're alien" Rose says still sounding slightly hysterical.

"Good thing I didn't take you to the Deep South" the Doctor says raising an eyebrow at her wondering if she actually thought it through when she invited herself along.

"Where are you from?" Rose asks curiously.

"All over the place" the Doctor shrugs.

"They all speak English" Rose says confused.

"No, you just hear English. It's a gift of the TARDIS. The telepathic field, gets inside your brain and translates" the Doctor says in more simple terms than before.

"It's inside my brain?" Rose says her voice rising.

"Well, in a good way" the Doctor shrugs not seeing what the big deal is.

"Your machine gets inside my head. It gets inside and it changes my mind, and you didn't even ask?" Rose cries hysterically.

"It's not like it's a bad thing Rose, and it was a choice of going into the TARDIS or get blown up with the Consciousness. Stop being so dramatic you make it sound like it's the Doctor fault, like he cut open your skull and played around with your brain" Astra snaps feeling very protective of the Doctor and not knowing Why "All it did was alter the way you see and understand languages slightly so get over it"

"I didn't think about it like that" the Doctor says, only really getting it after Astra's snapped but still not liking the way Rose was looking at Astra nor did he know what the big deal was.

"No, you were too busy thinking up cheap shots about the Deep South. Who are you, then, Doctor? What are you called? What sort of alien are you?" Rose questions getting defensive against the Doctor now and ignoring Astra.

"I'm just the Doctor" he says.

"From what planet?" Rose continues to demand relentlessly

"Well, it's not as if you'll know where it is!" the Doctor says what was the point of dredging it all up in order to tell her when she really wouldn't know anyway.

"Where are you from?" Rose continues regardless.

"What does it matter?" the Doctor demands a little annoyed now

"Tell me who you are!" Rose shrieks

"This is who I am, right here, right now, all right? All that counts is here and now, and this is me" the Doctor says getting really annoyed.

"Yeah, and I'm here too because you brought me here, so just tell me" Rose shrieks not noticing the Doctors tone or the look Astra was shooting at her, being fairly sure she pretty much demanded to asked to be brought along.

Just as she was about to comment though she was interrupted by the computerised voice announcing "Earth Death in twenty minutes. Earth Death in twenty minutes." effectively breaking up the argument as the Doctor stands up stalking over to the window and looking down at the Earth.

"All right. As my mate Shareen says, don't argue with the designated driver" Rose says standing behind the Doctor deciding to try again later, taking out her mobile phone she says "Can't exactly call for a taxi. There's no signal. We're out of range. Just a bit" not noticing Astra walk up beside the Doctor and squeezing his hand in comfort noticing the sadness in his eyes as he looked down at the Earth, thinking about the other planet he knows that's burning, earning her a small thankful smile.

"Tell you what" he says releasing Astra's hand and taking Roses mobile from her. He takes her phone apart pulling out the battery and replacing it with something from his pocket.

"With a little bit of jiggery pokery" the Doctor says.

"Is that a technical term, jiggery pokery?" Astra asks playfully.

"Yeah, I came first in jiggery pokery. What about you?" he answers equally playful

"No, I failed hullabaloo" she says making them both laugh slightly.

"Oh. There you go" he says passing the phone back to Rose not noticing her pouting at their interaction.

Wandering off slightly Rose scrolls her list of phone contacts before landing on the name home and calling not really believing it would work "Hello?" Jackie was heard from the other end

"Mum?" Rose says, surprise.

"Oh, what is it? Jackie answers as she empties the washing machine "What's wrong? What have I done now? Oh, this red top's falling to bits, You should get your money back. Go on, There must be something, you never phone in the middle of the day" hearing Rose laugh slightly over the phone asks "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. You all right, though?" Rose replies shaking her head slightly in disbelief

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Jackie replies curiously.

"What day is it?"

"Wednesday, all day. You got a hangover? Oh, I tell you what. Put a quid in that Lottery syndicate. I'll pay you back later"

"Yeah, er, I was just calling 'cos, I might be late home"

"s there something wrong?" Jackie says worrying a little bit

"No. I'm fine. Top of the world" Rose finishes joking to herself as she hangs up.

"Think that's amazing, you want to see the bill" the Doctor nods to her as she walks over just having finished answering Astra's question about whether the humans had survived on different planets or whether the where all gone now.

"That was five billion years ago. So, she's dead now. Five billion years later, my mum's dead" Rose says sadly, fishing for sympathy

The Doctor doesn't click on though and just says "Bundle of laughs, you are" before rolling his eyes and looking back down at the Earth.

"Oh, Hey, give us your phone and I'll give it a top up as well" The Doctor says turning to Astra having been too distracted by their conversation to ask before.

"I left mine in the TARDIS, you can do it later" she says with a smile before saying "Thank you though" getting a warm smile in return.

The whole space station shakes slightly making the Doctor look around intrigued "That's not supposed to happen" he says sharing a look with Astra both of them smirking excitedly at the idea of another adventure.

~*0*~

In the his office the Steward was worryingly yelling at his computer "Well, what was it? I'm just getting green lights at this end" before putting on a calm voice and announcing over the tannoy "Honoured guests may be reassured that gravity pockets may cause slight turbulence, thanking you" before he turns back and starts berating the controls "The whole place shook! I felt it. I've hosted all sorts of events on Platforms One, Three, Six and Fifteen and I've never felt the slightest tremor. I warn you, if this lot decide to sue. I'm going to scan the infrastructure"

Starting to do just that, not noticing the spider scuttle down the wall behind him he continues to speak "What's that? Control, I don't want to worry you, but I'm picking up readings. I have no idea. Well, they're small. The scan says they're metal. I don't know what they look like!" before he spots one of the spider on his desk "Although I imagine they might look rather like that. You're not on the guest list. How did you get on board?" he questions it.

The spider ignore him and simply scuttles over to his desk keyboard and pushes one of the yellow button on it.

"No" the Steward breathes frightened just as the computer announces "Sun filter deactivated".

"No!" he shouts louder now starting to press buttons hoping to stop it.

"Sun filter descending" the Computerised voice states as the room starts to fill with white light from the ceiling downwards as the filter on the window is lowered.

"No! Sun filter, up! No, no, no!" he shouts as he slams his hands down on the keyboard in a futile attempt to save his own life.

"External temperature four thousand degrees" the Computer warns mechanically.

"Control, respond! Sun filter up! Argh!" the Steward begs before screaming as the spider escapes through a small vent.

~*0*~

Back in the main observation deck the Moxx talking to the face of Boe "Indubitably, this is the Bad Wolf scenario. I find the inherent laxity of the on-going multi verse" before the Doctor, Astra and Rose enter the room.

"That wasn't a gravity pocket. I know gravity pockets and they don't feel like that. What do you think, Jabe?" as the female tree walks over to them "Listened to the engines. They've pitched up about thirty Hertz. That dodgy or what?" he says as he searches the controls.

"It's the sound of metal. It doesn't make any sense to me" she says confused.

The Doctor smiles at her slightly before asking "Where's the engine room?"

"I don't know, but the maintenance duct is just behind our guest suite, I could show you, your friend and your wife" Jabe says gesturing to Rose questioningly, noticing the Doctor seems to have more fond feelings toward Astra.

"She's not my wife" the Doctor answers.

"Partner?"

"No"

"Concubine?"

"Nope"

"Prostitute?" Jabe says raising her eyebrow slightly as Astra tries to cover a snort behind her hand.

"Whatever I am, it must be invisible. Do you mind?" Rose says offended before catching sight of Cassandra "Tell you what, you two go and pollinate. I'm going to catch up with family. Quick word with Michael Jackson" patting the Doctors arm as she passes, walking toward Cassandra.

"Don't start a fight" he warns her before he offers both Jabe and Astra an arm.

With Jabe on his left and Astra on his right he says "Off we go then" smiling and letting Jabe lead the way.

They walk out just as the Computer announces "Earth Death in fifteen minutes. Earth Death in fifteen minutes."

******AN: I just want to say thank you to everyone who favorited and alerted this story, as well as Kira Tsumi and Hellosweetie4737 for the 2 reviews I got, Thank you! :)**

******Hope you like it, please tell me what you think,**

******I'll have the next part up as soon as possible, Sarah x :)**


	4. The End of the World - Part 2

******Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who.**

******The End of the World (Part 2)**

In the maintenance duct a multitude of spiders scuttle out of sight behind the swags of wiring and piping just as the Doctor, Astra and Jabe turn the corner into view.

"Who's in charge of Platform One? Is there a Captain or what?" the Doctor questions Jabe, squeezing through the duct not letting go of Astra's hand.

"There's just the Steward and the staff. All the rest is controlled by the metal mind" Jabe answers.

"You mean the computer? But who controls that?" the Doctor questions more to himself then anyone else.

"The Corporation. They move Platform One from one artistic event to another" Jabe answers anyway.

"But there's no one from the Corporation on board" Astra checks suspiciously.

"They're not needed. This facility is purely automatic. It's the height of the Alpha class. Nothing can go wrong" Jabe says reassuringly.

"Unsinkable?" the Doctor mumbles

"If you like. The nautical metaphor is appropriate" Jabe shrugs.

"Right, you're telling me. I was on board another ship once. They said that was unsinkable. I ended up clinging to an iceberg. It wasn't half cold" he says distracted off in his own little world "So, what you're saying is, if we get in trouble there's no one to help us out?" the Doctor clarifies.

"I'm afraid not" Jabe trailing off seeming to realise how much danger they could be in if anything went wrong.

The Doctor smiles and says "Fantastic"

"I don't understand. In what way is that fantastic?" Jabe says looking from Astra who is shaking her head to the Doctor who is grinning at her.

~*0*~

Back in the Observation gallery Cassandra was talking to Rose "Soon, the sun will blossom into a red giant, and my home will die. That's where I used to live, when I was a little boy, down there. Mummy and Daddy had a little house built into the side of the Los Angeles Crevice. I'd have such fun."

"What happened to everyone else? The human race, where did it go?" Rose asks confused.

"They say mankind has touched every star in the sky" Cassandra scoffs.

"So, you're not the last human" Rose asked nodding her head.

"I am the last pure human. The others mingled" Cassandra answered pulling her face into a look of disgust, or as much as a piece of skin can look disgusted "Oh, they call themselves New humans and Proto-humans and Digi-humans, even 'Humanish, but you know what I call them? Mongrels." she sneers.

"Right. And you stayed behind" Rose goes on ignoring the last part.

"I kept myself pure" she says smugly.

"How many operations have you had?" Rose says condescendingly.

"Seven hundred and eight. Next week, it's seven hundred and nine. I'm having my blood bleached. Is that why you wanted a word? You could be flatter, Rose. You've got a little bit of a chin poking out" Cassandra answers not registering her tone.

"I'd rather die" Rose says adamantly.

"Honestly, it doesn't hurt" Cassandra says soothingly.

"No, I mean it. I would rather die. It's better to die than live like you, a bitchy trampoline" Rose scoffs disgusted with the idea.

"Oh, well. What do you know" Cassandra says rolling her eyes.

"I was born on that planet, and so was my mum, and so was my dad, and that makes me officially the last human being in this room, 'cos you're not human. You've had it all nipped and tucked and flattened till there's nothing left. Anything human got chucked in the bin. You're just skin, Cassandra. Lipstick and skin. Nice talking" Roses rants before storming off out the room not noticing the Adherents watching her exit.

~*0*~

Squeezing themselves through the maintenance duct, the Doctor, not letting go of Astra's hand decides he wants to know Jabe reasons for being here "So tell me, Jabe, what's a tree like you doing in a place like this?" he asks her over his shoulder.

"Respect for the Earth" she says shrugging.

"Oh, come on. Everyone on this platform's worth zillions" the Doctor says raising his eyebrow at her.

"Well, perhaps it's a case of having to be seen at the right occasions" Jabe acquiesces.

"In case your share prices drop? I know you lot. You've got massive forests everywhere, roots everywhere, and there's always money in land" the Doctor continues.

"All the same, we respect the Earth as family. So many species evolved from that planet. Mankind is only one. I'm another. My ancestors were transplanted from the planet down below, and I'm a direct descendant of the tropical rainforest" Jabe says fairly.

"That is kind of strange to think about" Astra mumbles low enough that only the Doctor could hear.

"Excuse me" the Doctor interrupts in order to scan a door panel, some writing pops up on the screen reading 'Welcome to Platform One. Guide of Platform One Do You Need Assistance.' The Doctor sonics the keypad labelled Maintenance log in, only to get denied any access to the log.

"And what about your ancestry, Doctor? Perhaps you could tell a story or two. Perhaps a man only enjoys trouble when there's nothing else left. I scanned you earlier. The metal machine had trouble identifying your species. It refused to admit your existence. And even when it named you, I wouldn't believe it. But it was right. I know where you're from. Forgive me for intruding, but it's remarkable that you even exist. I just wanted to say how sorry I am" Jabe says sounding sympathetic.

Seeing the tears that fill his eyes at her words Astra leans her head against his shoulder and put her arm around his waist, giving him as much of a hug as she can while he works in order to give him some comfort. He returns the gesture by giving her arm a squeeze in thanks not noticing a tear escape his eye before the door slides open. Straightening up he puts his arm around Astra's shoulder while she is still hugging him slightly and leads her off through the door not noticing Jabe giving them a curious look as she followed behind them.

~*0*~

Entering the engine room they look around seeing a catwalk that runs straight through the centre of the room cut off at several intervals by a series of large fans with a sheer drop on either side that seems to drop to the base of the station.

"Is it me, or is it a bit nippy?" the Doctor questions curiously as he and Astra look at the fans in curiosity.

~*0*~

After storming away from Cassandra, Rose goes for a walk to calm herself down, turning down a side corridor she decides to go and look for the Doctor, Rose is met by the Adherents, flashing them a quick smile she wasn't expecting it when one of them lift its clawed arm and hitting her round the head knocking her out then dragging her away by one of her legs.

~*0*~

"Fair dos, though, that's a great bit of air conditioning. Sort of nice and old fashioned. Bet they call it retro" the Doctor says looking around at the fans before he heads over to the panel and scans it with his sonic.

"Gotcha" he says before pulling off the panel revealing the circuits inside before jumping back pulling Astra slightly behind him as one of the metal spiders scuttles out and then up the wall onto one of the pipe high up.

"What the hell's that?" the Doctor and Astra asks at the same time.

"Is it part of the retro?" Jabe questions innocently.

"I don't think so. Hold on" he says as he points his sonic screwdriver at it trying to shut it off so he can have a proper look at it, only to be upstaged when Jabe lassos it.

"Hey, Cool, loving the Liana" Astra says impressed.

"Why, Thank you. We're not supposed to show them in public" says Jabe pleased with the reaction, knowing not many people are that open minded about these kind of things.

"Don't worry, we won't tell anybody. Now then, who's been bringing their pets on board?" the Doctor says shooting her an impressed look before sonicing the spider.

"What does it do?" Jabe asks back on point.

"Sabotage" the Doctor says right before the computerised voice over head says "Earth Death in ten minutes" echoing down the chamber.

"And the temperature's about to rocket. Come on" the Doctor comments before grabbing Astra's hand and leading them both back through the door Jabe following them. The computerised voice repeating "Earth Death in ten minutes" behind them.

~*0*~

"The planet's end. Come gather, come gather. Bid farewell to the cradle of civilisation. Let us mourn her with a traditional ballad" Cassandra calls all the attention to her as the 50's jukebox switches discs and starts playing Britney Spears Toxic.

~*0*~

Outside the Steward's office the corridor is filling up with smoke coming from inside through the gaps in the door frame and the glare of the sun is coming through a small glass panel in the door. As they approach they see the little assistants have gathered around the door looking around not knowing what to do or how to help.

"Hold on. Get back" the Doctor says making his way through them and sonicing a small panel next to the door.

The Computer announces "Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising" and the glare recedes as the Doctor stands back up.

"Is the Steward in there?!" Astra asks from behind him concerned while Jabe try to comfort the little assistants.

Turning to her, he quickly puts his arm around her and strokes her arm comfortingly as he says softly "You can smell him" before having to turn back to the panel to finish his work, not knowing why he was so comfortable with her or why he doesn't like her being upset but brushing it off as something to think on more later, he sonics the panel until a beep is heard "Hold on, there's another sun filter programmed to descend" he tells them before running off leaving them to take care of the assistants.

~*0*~

In the room they originally landed in Rose was just starting to stir from her place on the floor at the bottom of the stairs. Overhead the computerised voice is heard "Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending. Sun filter descending" Rose jolts awake as the deadly glare begin to fill the room. She throws herself up off the floor and up the stair to the door, trying to open it before realising she cant she starts to hammers on it shouting "Let me out! Let me out, Please Please Please Let me out!" hoping someone will hear her.

"Sun filter descending"

~*0*~

The Doctor runs to room where he had originally parked the TARDIS, hurrying over to the door panel and using his sonic on it as the computer announces "Sun filter descending"

He continues working the door panel calling through the door "Anyone in there?" hoping not to get an answer.

Only to hear Rose shout back "Let me out!" not a moment later.

"Oh, well, it would be you" the Doctor sneers exasperated as he carries on sonicing the door.

Rose bangs on the door screaming at him "Open the door!"

"Hold on. Give us two ticks" the Doctor remarks casually as he continues to try and find the right frequency.

"Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising" the computerised voice announces just as the rays reach the top of the door, Rose lets out a sigh of relief slumping against the door "Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising"

"Sun filter descending" the computer announces as the glare starts to fill the room again.

"Just what we need." the Doctor groans as he goes back to work on the door panel "The computer's getting clever."

"Stop mucking about!" Rose shrieks hysterically.

"I'm not mucking about. It's fighting back" the Doctor says slightly offended before brushing it off not really caring what she thinks.

"Open the door!" Rose continues to shriek banging on the door as if that would cause it to open.

"I know!" the Doctor shouts back rolling his eyes.

Inside the room Rose runs down the steps and crouches near the platform further away from the glare as it moves down the door.

"The lock's melted!" she shouts as she sees over half the door burned shut.

The Computer continues "Sun filter descending. Sun filter Descending" just as it reaches the bottom of the door the panel sparks and the computer starts announcing "Sun filter rising. Sun filter rising"

Rose gets up and runs back up to the door stopping short at the sight of the entire wall, door included all burned.

"The whole thing's jammed. I can't open the doors. Stay there! Don't move!" the Doctor says before running off back to the main room.

"Where are am I going to go, Ipswich?" Rose shouts sarcastically her voice still slightly high.

"Earth Death in five minutes" the computer announces.

~*0*~

Back in the main observation room Astra is stood by Jabe holding the metal spider as Jabe scans it with her device, it seems she got her answers as she turns to the room and announces "The metal machine confirms. The spider devices have infiltrated the whole of Platform One"

Many of them gasp, startled before Cassandra is heard over the din "How's that possible? Our private rooms are protected by a code wall. Moisturise me, moisturise me"

"Summon the Steward" the Moxx says just as the Doctor enters the room, he walks up to Astra and takes the spider.

"I'm afraid the Steward is dead" Jabe says softly.

"Who killed him?" Moxx questions shocked making the Doctor look over quickly before turning back to the spider and sonicing it, turning it back on and re-programming it.

"This whole event was sponsored by the Face of Boe. He invited us. Talk to the Face. Talk to the Face" Cassandra accuses.

"Easy way of finding out. Someone bought their little pet on board. Let's send him back to master" the Doctor says as he puts down the spider and watches as it scuttles away. It scuttles over in Cassandra's direction before seeming to hesitate and leading off in a different direction right over to the Adherents.

"The Adherents of the Repeated Mean. J'accuse!" Cassandra gasps dramatically.

"That's all very well, and really kind of obvious, but if you stop and think about it" the Doctor interrupts heading over to the Adherents.

Their leader raises its arm in an attempt to hit him, only for the Doctor to grab its wrist and give a sharp tug pulling it's arm up the elbow right off and out of its sleeve.

"A Repeated Mean is just an idea. And that's all they are, an idea" he says as he pulls one of the wires dangling from the arm, and all the Adherents collapse "Remote controlled Droids. Nice little cover for the real troublemaker. Go on, Jimbo. Go home" he continues as he uses his foot to nudge the spider away a little.

The spiders scuttles away before stumbling to a stop in front of Cassandra, she sneers "I bet you were the school swot and never got kissed. At arms!" she orders.

Her attendants raise their spray guns threateningly at the Doctor and Astra who had moved to stand with the Doctor.

"What are you going to do, moisturise me?" the Doctor mock gasps putting a hand to his chest dramatically making Astra snicker at him.

"With acid" Cassandra says casually "Oh, you're too late, anyway. My spiders have control of the mainframe. Oh, you all carried them as gifts, tax free, past every code wall. I'm not just as pretty face"

"Sabotaging a ship while you're still inside it? How stupid are you?" Astra scoffs.

"I'd hoped to manufacture a hostage situation with myself as one of the victims. The compensation would have been enormous" Cassandra dreamily trails off.

"Five billion years and it still comes down to money" the Doctor says disgusted.

"Do you think it's cheap, looking like this? Flatness costs a fortune. I am the last human, Doctor. Me. Not that freaky little kid of yours" Cassandra demands.

"Arrest her, the infidel" Moxx demands.

"Oh, shut it, pixie." she hisses before calmly saying, "I've still got my final option"

"Earth Death in three minutes" the computer announces.

"And here it comes. You're just as useful dead, all of you. I have shares in your rival companies and they'll triple in price as soon as you're dead. My spiders are primed and ready to destroy the safety systems. How did that old Earth song go? Burn, baby, burn" she says in a vicious tone.

"Then you'll burn with us" Jabe states.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I know the use of teleportation is strictly forbidden, but I'm such a naughty thing." she says in a mock apologetic tone before ordering "Spiders, activate" They hear a series of explosions through the Platform as the entire thing shakes.

"Forcefields gone with the planet about to explode. At least it'll be quick. Just like my fifth husband. Oh, shame on me" she giggles mockingly.

"Safety systems failing" the computer announces calmly

"Bye, bye, darlings. Bye, bye, my darlings." Cassandra says as she and her attendants teleport out.

"Heat levels rising" the computer warns.

"Reset the computer" Moxx says trying to think of an idea.

"Only the Steward would know how" Jabe says only to be interrupted by the Doctor saying "No. We can do it by hand. There must be a system restore switch" he says as he grabs Astra's hand leading her away before calling back "Jabe, come on. You lot, just chill"

~*0*~

The computer announces "Earth Death in two minutes. Earth Death in two minutes" just as they enter the maintenance duct at a run, heading back to the engine room.

"Heat levels critical" the computer announces "Heat levels critical"

They enter the room and the Doctor looks around before spotting the switch on the other side of the razor sharp fans "Oh. And guess where the switch is"

The Doctor pulls a breaker lever and the fans slow a little, but it resets as soon as he lets go of it.

"External temperature five thousand degrees" the Computer announces as Astra takes off her jacket to wrap around her hands for a bit off protection before grabbing the breaker lever and holding it down. The fans slow making the Doctor look back at her.

"You can't. The heat's going to vent through this place." the Doctor says not wanting her to be hurt.

"I know" Astra answers

"Astra, it'll burn through that" he says gesturing to the fabric wrapped around her hands "in no time, your going to get burnt"

"Then stop wasting time, Time Lord" Jabe interrupts knowing he needs to hurry up, what the girl is planning to do will get her burnt anyway but the quicker he gets it done the quicker she'll be able to let go.

"Heat levels rising. Heat levels rising" the Computer announces making the Doctor shoots one last look at Astra who nods at him to go ahead before he turns toward the fans just managing to over hear Astra tell Jabe to leave if the heat gets too much for her

~*0*~

"Heat levels hazardous" the computer announces as the observation window begins to crack and streaks of pure heat burn through the room.

"We're going to die!" Moxx yells as everyone begins to panic, trying to find some form of cover.

~*0*~

"Heat levels hazardous" was heard throughout the engine room just as the Doctor makes it past the first fan.

~*0*~

In the room with Rose she looks up as the computer announces "Shields malfunction. Shields malfunction. Shields malfunction." she moves sideways just in time to dodge as the window crack and streaks of deadly glare shoot through the room.

~*0*~

"Heat levels critical. Heat levels critical" the computer announces causing the Doctor to look back at Astra as sweat runs down her face and she seem to be gritting her teeth against the heat, seeing her talk to Jabe she seemed to be sending her out of the room as she starts to struggle staying in the room with the heat building up. When the Doctor notices this he start to try and hurry up, he turns then runs past the second fan to the third.

A scream escapes Astra before she could stifle it, as the heat finally succeeds in burning through her jacket and start to burn her hands. She uses all her weight to push down the lever determined not to let go until the Doctor reaches the switch.

The computer announces "Planet explodes in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, Four..."

The Doctor manages to make it past the last fan and dashes for the reset breaker pulling it down quickly as he can then shouting "Raise shields!"

~*0*~

A forcefield envelopes Platform One as the Earth starts to boil, then explodes. The computer repeating "Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair. Exoglass repair."

Rose opens her eyes to see the cracks in the window mend themselves and vanish, and she sees the fractured remains of Earth floating by.

~*0*~

In the engine rooms, the fans start to slow to a stop making it easy for the Doctor to walk back easily to Astra, moving quickly over to her to examine the damage done to her hands, trying not to move them to much as she hisses slightly in pain at the slight movement.

He pulls out two handkerchiefs and wraps them around her hands to cover them until he can get her something proper to help the heal them. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders he leads her out the door, finding Jabe just outside the door he leads them both back to the main room.

~*0*~

After the door repairs itself Rose leaves the room and heads back to the main room. She enters, looking around for the Doctor, she sees some people have a few minor burns but nothing too serious. The Doctor storms into the room with his arm still around Astra leading her over to the chair near the trees where Jabe can keep an eye on her for him.

"You all right?" Rose asks not even looking at Astra.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm full of ideas, I'm bristling with them" the Doctor says stalking past her "Idea number one, teleportation through five thousand degrees needs some kind of feed. Idea number two, this feed must be hidden nearby" He reaches the alleged ostrich egg and smashes it open to reveal a small device hidden inside.

"Idea number three, if you're as clever as me, then a teleportation feed can be reversed" he says sonicing the device and reversing the feed, beaming Cassandra back, not that she notices as she continues her conversation "Oh, you should have seen their little alien faces"

She finally notices what room she is in and looks around before landing on a furious Doctor "Oh" she says a little shocked.

"The last human" the Doctor sneers at her.

"So, you passed my little test. Bravo. This makes you eligible to join, er, the Human Club" Cassandra tries to wave it off.

"People nearly died, Cassandra. You would have murdered them" the Doctor says angrily.

"It depends on your definition of people, and that's enough of a technicality to keep your lawyers dizzy for centuries. Take me to court, then, Doctor, and watch me smile and cry and flutter" Cassandra goes on not noticing her skin start to become tight as it fights to stay stretched in its metal frame.

"And creak?" the Doctor says smugly.

"And what?" she replies confused.

"Creak. You're creaking" he says sounding satisfied.

"What? Ah! I'm drying out! Oh, sweet heavens. Moisturise me, moisturise me! Where are my surgeons? My lovely boys! It's too hot!" Cassandra starts shrieking loudly in a panic.

"You raised the temperature" the Doctor says mocking her.

"Have pity! Moisturise me! Oh, oh, Doctor. I'm sorry. I'll do anything" Cassandra begs

"Help her" Rose says from beside him only for the Doctor to look over at Astra, knowing but not understanding why he'll only stop if she asks him too.

"Everything has its time and course to run, in the end everything dies" she's remarks simply to his questioning look.

"I'm too young!" Cassandra screams as her eyes go red and blood shot and her skin shrinks even more before...

Splat!

~*0*~

"Shuttles four and six departing. This unit now closing down for maintenance" the computer announces.

Back in the observation gallery the Doctor approaches Astra as she looks out at the asteroids that were once the Earth as they float past the red giant Sun.

"The end of the Earth. It's gone. No one saw it go. All those years, all that history, and no one was even looking. It's just gone." Astra says in a soft sad voice "All that life, all that past, all that evolution and all those creations just gone... and no one was watching, no one... we where just too busy trying to save ourselves" she finishes shaking her head and looking down sadly.

"Come with me" he say putting a sympathetic arm around her shoulder and leading her back to the TARDIS where Rose was waiting being careful of her hands.

~*0*~

They step out of the TARDIS looking around at the 20th century Earth hearing the sounds of a babies cry, and a man laughs, people laughing and joking as they roam around the shops. The Doctor, Astra and Rose stand in the middle of high street looking round at all the people going about their daily lives, relieved at seeing the place so full of life after seeing it all die.

"You think it'll last forever, people and cars and concrete, but it won't. One day it's all gone. Even the sky" he takes a deep breath before continuing "My planet's gone. It's dead. It burned like the Earth. It's just rocks and dust before it's time" the Doctor explains to Astra, figuring she deserves some kind of explanation for Jabe's reaction to him, after everything she did to help save the day.

"What happened?" Rose butts thinking he was finally answering her questions.

"There was a war and we lost" the Doctor says simply.

"A war with who?" Rose asks rudely only to be ignored.

"What about your people? What happened to all of them?" Astra asked softly.

"I'm a Time Lord. I'm the last of the Time Lords. They're all gone. I'm the only survivor. I'm left travelling on my own 'cos there's no one else" the Doctor sighs sadly thinking about his lost people, mainly one person in particular hoping she would be proud of him for keeping his last promise to her.

"There's me" Astra says quietly taking his hand as he sees the sad look in his eyes, ignoring the pain this caused her.

"You've seen how dangerous it is. Do you want to go home?" he asks, looking down at Astra, hoping she wouldn't but knowing he needed to offer.

"No, no there is far too much out there for me to see and learn about, and it wasn't all bad y'know" Astra says smiling up at him "All those Aliens, all those places, I want to see more" she finishes smiling shaking her head.

"Yeah. Yeah" the Doctor laugh slightly in relief resting his head on top of hers and putting his arm around her before turning and heading back to the TARDIS to get her hands fixed up, ignoring Rose as she says something about chips.

~*0*~

The Doctor waits for Astra to change into her pyjamas, pale pink vest top and pants with a big fluffy robe and slipper boots, before leading her to the TARDIS med bay to fix up her hands. He tells her to hop on one of the beds as he goes to the back of the room to fetch his small hand held scanner, some cream and some bandages.

Turning back to see her sat on the bed smiling at him as he heads back over to see how bad the burns are. Carefully taking off the Handkerchiefs he winces when when she hisses slightly.

The Doctor hisses out in shock at seeing the third degree burns that cover her hand not having had a proper look before rushing to get some cold compresses from his fully stocked medical cabinet, he does what he can to try and ease the pain while the cream soaks in.

They stand there together in comfortable silence before Astra speaks "So, we've seen the future any chance we can see the past next" she asks smiling up at him.

"Yeah, we can, any where in particular you want to go, not that we'll be going until you've given your hands chance to heal, at least a bit first" he says laughing at her slightly when she pouted at him playfully.

He drags a wheeled machine over to her bed and puts her hands underneath what looks like a dome with an ultra violet light emanating from the top.

"What does that do?" she asks him with a raised eye brow.

"Oh, um, it's a machine that repairs the layers of skin, muscle and fat starting from the base layers and works its way until its just a surface wound which is easier to take care of" the Doctor explains as she puts her hands in the machine facing upwards "It's for Time Lords originally but I found it can be used on humans but only for short periods of time and it can't fix everything within a human because of the differences within the biology"

"Whats different?" Astra asks. "and how long will I have to hold my hands like this?

"Half an hour at a time and you'll have to do it at least three times" he says guessing what she was about to ask as she closes her mouth with a smile "And there isn't that much difference, there's the obvious two hearts which beat at 170 beats per minute over double that of a human, we have a respiratory bypass system, which allows us to go longer without air. We also have an internal body temperature of 59 °F and increased senses, mainly our hearing, sight and taste" the Doctor lists off the differences not noticing how much information he is sharing with her without really meaning to.

They pause for a couple of minutes in comfortable silence while Astra absorbs all the differences before Doctor decides to change the subject by asking "Who's the one person in all of history you've always wished you could meet?" wanting to get to know her better and not really wanting to talk about his people any more, especially when he didn't mean too he was just so comfortable around this girl and he didn't have a clue as to why.

"Well there's Albert Einstein, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, I like inventing things from anything and everything so I guess anyone who does stuff like that would be so brilliant to meet" Astra starts listing off things she would love to learn about asking the Doctor questions about any people that he has already met, if there is anyone he'd love to meet, what planets he most wants to show her, both of them enjoying talking to each other, only being disrupted once when the machine beeps for them to wrap up Astra's hands again before continuing not realising that they had left Rose sat alone in the console room as they carried on talking and getting to know each other for a couple of hours.

******AN: Hi, there are a few things I forgot to put on in the past few chapters.**

******I ********have been******** through all the earlier chapters and corrected ********and edited ********a few things (Apparently your not it's wrong to type TARDIS Tardis? or so I've been told.)********, as well as spell checking so I hope that's better now :)**

******On my Tumblr you can find the outfits I put together for my OC, I usually do this as I'm writing the Chapter before I upload it cause it helps me to visualise what she would look like, I create them on my Polyvore then share them on Tumblr, but cause I usually ********upload other stuff like Book covers on Tumblr that would be the best place to find them.**

******I look up most of the details on the Doctor who wiki, called the TARDIS Data Core.**

******Thank you for the Reviews, Favourites and Alerts it helps me to know people are enjoying this :)**

******Hope you like it, please tell me what you think,**

******I'll have the next part up as quick as I can, Sarah x :)**


	5. The Unquiet Dead - Part 1

******Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who.**

**AN: OK So apparently it was my fault, my brother changed the settings as a prank and I didn't notice. So I've just gone from nearly breaking the computer with my frustrations to highly embarrassed. I've sorted out the Chapters and they will be repost momentarily.**

**I am going to try not to put any AN's at the top but I think you need to know this. This episode is not a favourite of mine and I struggled with it a bit so I hope it's OK. Please let me know what you think.**

**The Unquiet Dead (Part 1)**

In a musty old fashioned Funeral parlour, down in the chapel of rest where the viewings take place, there is a small altar with a cross on it flanked by a pair of candles set up. The rest of the room is also candle-lit and there are two bouquets of lilies in vases by an open coffin. The bald Welsh undertaker lights the gas lamp before speaking to the client.

"Sneed and Company offer their sincerest condolences, sir, in this most trying hour" he says trying to sound sympathetic.

"Grandmamma had a good innings, Mister Sneed. She was so full of life. I can't believe she's gone" the Client says mournfully.

"Not gone, Mister Redpath, sir. Merely sleeping" Sneed says.

"May I have a moment?" Redpath asks wanting to say his goodbyes.

"Yes, of course. I shall be in the next room, should you require anything" Sneed says pointing to the door for emphasis.

Sneed leaves the room to wait next door. The man gazes down the corpse of his mother before closing his eyes to gather himself not noticing the corpse's skin glow blue for a moment and then her eyes opening. She grabs her son by the throat and knocking over a vase in the process. The sound of the vase smashing brings Sneed rushing back into the room.

"Oh, no. No" he says as he tries to wrestle Redpath from the woman's grasp, when he succeeds the man falls to the ground behind him as Sneed forces her down back into the coffin and then tries to put the coffin lid on.

"Gwyneth! Get down here now! We've got another one!" He shouts towards the door.

The corpse pushes the lid off, knocking Sneed out, and kicks her way out of the side of the coffin. She escapes the building and starts walking down the snow-covered street, groaning, and with blue vapour coming from her screaming mouth.

~*0*~

The Tardis is in rocking about all over the place as Astra and the Doctor make there way to the console room.

Upon entering the console room the Doctor bounds up to the console directing Astra to the other side of it as Rose gets up from the captains chair where she had been waiting and joins them around the console.

"Hold that one down!" the Doctor says to Astra pointing to two levers next to each other as he starts pressing buttons, pulls levers and twist knobs to try and stabilise the TARDIS but only succeeding in making it rock about more "No! that one" he says to Astra nodding to the levers again.

"I'm holding this one down" Astra says rolling her eyes at him, now absolutely sure he doesn't know how to pilot the TARDIS now.

"Well, hold them both down" the Doctor says with a smile as if he knows what she is thinking.

"Is this actually going to work?" Astra asks sceptically "or are you winding me up?"

Rose tries to reach across the console to pull another lever down, not wanting to be left out as well, only to get her hand tapped away by the Doctor, causing her to pull her hand away reactively.

"Oi!" the Doctor says to Rose warningly before turning to Astra and saying "I promised you a time machine and that's what you're getting. Now, you've seen the future, let's have a look at the past. 1860. How does 1860 sound?" he says already setting in the coordinates.

"What happened in 1860? Rose asks only to be ignored.

"Where abouts? Or should I say when? What about New York we can see Lincoln making that speech that got him elected or see his inauguration?" Astra says enthusiastically earning a strange look from Rose, but making the Doctor smile at her knowledge and excitement.

"I don't know, let's find out. Hold on, here we go!" the Doctor says shrugging locking in the coordinates and sending them off into the time vortex.

~*0*~

Back in the funeral parlour Mr. Sneed has finally woken up and heads upstairs toward the kitchen "Gwyneth! Where are you, girl? Gwyneth!" he enters the kitchen where he spots a young servant girl come in from the outside.

"Where the devil have you been girl? I was shouting" he says rudely.

"I've been in the stables, sir, breaking the ice for old Sampson" Gwyneth says softly.

"Well, get back in there and harness him up" Sneed demands.

"Whatever for, sir?" she asks shocked.

"The stiffs are getting lively again. Mister Redpath's grandmother, she's up and on her feet

and out there somewhere on the streets. We've got to find her" Sneed says.

"Mister Sneed, for shame. How many more times? It's ungodly" Gwyneth says unsure.

"Don't look at me like it's my fault. Now, come on, hurry up. She was eighty six. She can't have got far" Sneed says before heading determinedly toward the back door.

"What about Mister Redpath? Did you deal with him?" Gwyneth questions.

"No... She did" he says swallowing knowing the same could have happened to him.

"That's awful, sir" she says sadly before hesitating "I know it's not my place, and please, forgive me for talking out of turn, sir. But this is getting beyond, now. Something terrible is happening in this house, and we've got to get help"

"And we will, as soon as I get that dead old woman locked up and safe and sound. Now stop prevaricating, girl. Get the hearse ready. We're going body snatching" Sneed lies knowing he won't cause his business has been at an all time high since this started.

~*0*~

The Tardis materialises at the end of a snowy street in an arched alleyway near a metal gate. The Doctor, Astra and Rose are lying on the floor having fallen when the TARDIS materialised with a bump.

"Oof, Blimey!" Astra says rubbing her hands slightly, which while not as bad still hurt a little, as the Doctor pulls himself up and offers his hands to help her up.

"You're telling me. Are you all right?" he asks with a concerned glance towards her hands as he pulls her up.

"Yeah. I think so. Nothing broken" they can hear Rose assuring him even though the question wasn't to her.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Did we make it? Where are we?" Astra asks her curiosity and excitement over riding the stinging of her hands.

The Doctor heads back over to the monitor, glancing at it before saying "I did it. Give the man a medal. Earth, Naples, December 24th, 1860" he congratulates himself.

"That's so cool. It's Christmas Eve" Astra says shaking her head in awe, seeing the future was one thing but seeing the past... that just seemed to take it to a whole other level.

"All yours" the Doctor says with a grand gesture to the doors.

"But, it's like, just thinking about it now. Christmas. 1860. It happens once, just the one time and then it's gone, it's finished, it'll never happen again. Except for you. You can go back and see days that are dead and gone a hundred thousand sunsets ago. It's no wonder you can never stay still" Astra says astonished.

"Not a bad life, eh?" he asks smiling at her.

"Better someone to share it with" Astra replies nodding before letting go of his hands "Alright then. Do you have any period clothing?" as Rose runs for the door eager to get out there.

"Oi, where do you think you're going?" the Doctor demand of Rose stopping her before she can go outside.

"1860" Rose says looking confused.

"Go out there dressed like that, you'll start a riot" he says to her before turning back to Astra to answer her question "There's a wardrobe through there. First left, second right, third on the left, go straight ahead, under the stairs, past the bins, fifth door on your left" he says her waiting for her nod of understanding.

She heads off in that direction leaving the Doctor behind with Rose who is staring at him confused "Hurry up" he says pointing after Astra and she runs after her, before he heads to the small chest of clothing for himself under the console to change his jumper.

~*0*~

Two horses are pulling the hearse slowly down the street carrying Mr. Sneed and Gwyneth down the street.

"Not a sign. Where is she?" Sneed says looking around for the old lady corpse.

"She's vanished into the ether, sir. Where can she be?" Gwyneth says scared someone else might get hurt.

Sneed pulls on the reins to stop the horses before turning to Gwyneth "You tell me, girl"

"What do you mean?" Gwyneth says hoping he doesn't mean what she thinks he means.

"Gwyneth, you know full well" Sneed demands.

"No, sir. I can't" she says shaking her head.

"Use the sight" Sneed orders.

"It's not right, sir" she pleads with him.

"Find the old lady or you're dismissed. Now, look inside, girl. Look deep. Where is she?" Sneed blackmails.

Gwyneth sighs before closing her eyes and concentrating before speaking about something only she can see "She's lost, sir. She's so alone. Oh, my lord. So many strange things in her head"

"But where?" Sneed questions urgently.

"She's excited about tonight. Before she passed on, she was going to see him" Gwyneth says.

"Who's him?" Sneed demands roughly.

"The great man. All the way from London. The great, great man" Gwyneth trails off.

~*0*~

"Mister Dickens, Mister Dickens. Excuse me, sir, Mister Dickens. This is your call. Are you quite well, sir?" A man calls as he runs into a dressing room.

"Splendid, splendid. Sorry" Charles Dickens says slurring slightly.

"Time you were on, sir" the man says.

"Absolutely. I was just brooding. Christmas Eve. Not the best of times to be alone" Dickens says sombrely.

"Did no one travel with you, sir? No lady wife waiting out front?" the man questions politely.

Dickens shakes his head sadly "I'm afraid not" he sighs.

"You can have mine if you want" the man says cheekily trying to cheer him up a little bit.

"Oh, I wouldn't dare" Dickens huffs a laugh "I've been rather, let's say, clumsy, with family matters. Thank God, I'm too old to cause any more trouble"

"You speak as though it's all over, sir" the man inquires softly.

"No, it's never over. On and on I go, the same old show. I'm like a ghost, condemned to

repeat myself for all eternity" Dickens says getting up and pulling off his dressing gown switching it for a suede blazer.

"It's never too late, sir. You can always think up some new turns" the man says comfortingly.

"No, I can't. Even my imagination grows stale. I'm an old man. Perhaps I've thought everything I'll ever think. Still, the lure of the limelight's as potent as a pipe, what? Eh? On with the motley" he says leaving the dressing room and heading for the stage.

~*0*~

The Doctor is underneath the platform working on something connected to the underside of the console, when Astra and Rose returns, Astra wearing a silver and black dress, with a grey over coat and grey wedged heel shoes leaving her hair mostly down with the front twisted back and pinned in place **(****See Tumblr for picture****)**, and Rose wearing a red and black dress with a cloak over the top tied with a bow and a flower in her pinned up hair.

"Blimey!" the Doctor says looking at Astra.

"Don't laugh" she says not really used to wearing these types of ball gowns and a bit worried she might look silly in it.

"You look beautiful" he says smiling honestly at her before Rose clears her throat pointedly "You look alright to I suppose, considering"

"Considering what?" Rose says confused.

"That you're human" the Doctor says winking at Astra to let her know he is just teasing.

"I think that's a compliment. Aren't you going to change?" Astra says.

"I've changed my jumper. Come on" he says gesturing to his now blue jumper before climbing back up the platform, offering Astra his arm then heading for the door leaving Rose to trail behind as she trips over the stilettos she chose to wear.

Astra pushes away from the Doctor running in front to the door saying excitedly "You stay there. You've done this before. This is mine"

~*0*~

Astra opens the door looks around before putting one foot out then pulling back looking at the imprint she left in the snow, she laughs slightly to herself in astonishment and steps gingerly out fully into the fallen snow allowing the other two to exit after her.

"Ready for this? Here we go. History" the Doctor says enjoying the astonished look on Astra's face as she looks around before she takes the offered arm and head off to explore with Rose stumbling after them.

~*0*~

Charles Dickens walks out onto the stage where an appreciative audience applauds his entrance, all eyes on the stage and no one noticing the corpse sitting in the middle of the audience.

~*0*~

The Doctor and Astra walk down the street, past a choir sing God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, after pausing to watch for a moment and Astra dropping a couple of pounds into the pot hung nearby, not quite realising in her awe of the surroundings that that was quite a bit of money for this time, they move on not noticing the hearse that pulls up behind them.

"She's in there, sir, I'm certain of it" Gwyneth says obediently having led them there.

"Right" Sneed says climbing down off the carriage before heading inside Gwyneth following shortly behind him.

~*0*~

The Doctor walks up to a vendor and buys a newspaper from the money Astra gave him.

Looking at the paper he reads the date before announcing with a sigh "I got the flight a bit wrong"

"I don't care" Astra says still looking around at the sights.

"It's not 1860, it's 1869" the Doctor winces looking at the title of the paper again.

"I don't care" Astra says.

"And it's not Naples" the Doctor says petulantly.

"I don't care" Astra still says.

"It's Cardiff" the Doctor says.

"Whats wrong with Cardiff?" Astra asks him as Rose stops in her tracks looking after the Doctor incredulously before shaking her head and following.

~*0*~

Dickens is stood leaning on a podium giving a reading from his story A Christmas Carol.

"Now, it is a fact that there was nothing particular at all about the knocker on the door of this house, but let any man explain to me if he can, how it happened that Scrooge, having his key in the lock of the door, saw in the knocker, without it's undergoing any intermediate process of change, not a knocker, but Marley's face. Marley's face! It looked at Scrooge as Marley used to look. It looked like" he says dramatically until he sees the corpse in the audience begin to glow and wisps of blue florescent gas float off and around her.

Dickens points to her before saying in a shaky voice "Oh, my lord. It looked like that!"

The entire audience turns to see as Dickens says "What phantasmagoria is this?"

The corpse rises from it's seat and groans opening her mouth wide and releasing these things that look like glowing blue spirits. The audience screams and start backing away running for the exit.

~*0*~

The Doctor, Astra and Rose hear the screams coming from the near by theatre as they head past it, turning to look back behind them seeing people running out the entrance.

"That's more like it!" the Doctor says throwing the news paper over his shoulder, grabbing Astra's hand and running into the Theatre.

~*0*~

A horde of blue gas entities start forming as they come from the corpse's mouth and flying around the auditorium. The audience stumbles all over each other as they try to flee.

"Stay in your seats, I beg you. It is a lantern show. It's trickery" Dickens tries to reassure having pulled himself out of his shock.

"Excuse me" Sneed says pushing past the people trying to run in the opposite direction.

"There she is, sir!" Gwyneth shouts having managed to get a look inside the auditorium and seen the corpse.

"I can see that. The whole blooming world can see that!" Sneed says.

A single policeman arrives outside, blowing his whistle just as the Doctor and Astra run into the building leaving Rose trailing behind trying to keep up.

Entering the auditorium he starts making his way through the crowd to get a better look, looking around at all the gas creatures he says "Fantastic" thrilled at the sight before him before making his way to the stage.

The corpse collapses just as the Doctor approaches Dickens asking "Did you see where it came from?"

"Ah, the wag reveals himself, does he? I trust you're satisfied, sir!" Dickens demands of the Doctor not seeing Astra who is standing slightly behind him, the Doctor having dragged her along not letting go of her hand.

Sneed and Gwyneth manage to get to the corpse before picking up her up and carrying her out the side door.

"Oi! Leave her alone! Doctor, I'll get them" Rose shouts managing got get through the crowd finally and chasing after the pair with the body.

"Be careful! Did it say anything? Can it speak? I'm the Doctor, by the way" the Doctor rambles before remembering his manners.

"I'm Astra" Astra says indicating herself even though Dickens doesn't seem to be paying attention to her.

"Doctor? You look more like a navvie" Dickens scoffs.

"What's wrong with this jumper?" the Doctor frowns.

~*0*~

"What're you doing?!" Rose shouts as she catches up with Gwyneth, not paying any attention to the man at the front of the carriage.

"Oh, it's a tragedy, miss. Don't worry yourself. Me and the master will deal with it. The fact is, this poor lady's been taken with the brain fever and we have to get her to the infirmary" Gwyneth says trying to block the way as Rose pushes past her.

Laying a hand on the corpses face before pulling away quickly "She's cold. She's dead! Oh, my God, what'd you do to her?" she demand of Gwyneth hysterically.

Sneed sneaks up behind Rose and puts a pad of cloth over her mouth. She struggles briefly then

passes out.

"What did you do that for?" Gwyneth asks.

"She's seen too much. Get her in the hearse. Legs" Sneed orders before picking Rose up and shoving her into the back with the corpse.

~*0*~

Back in the theatre the blue gas creatures flies around some more before disappearing into a gas light.

"Gas! It's made of gas" the Doctor says fascinated before heading off to the nearest exit grabbing Astra's hand and dragging her with her.

~*0*~

"Oh! for Gods sake, Rose!" the Doctor shouts as he sees the two people who took the body ride off in their hearse, working out what must have happened.

Dickens catches up to them saying "You're not escaping me, sir. What do you know about that hobgoblin, hmm? Projection on glass, I suppose. Who put you up to it?"

"Yeah, mate. Not now, thanks" the Doctor brushes off Dickens getting into a nearby carriage after helping Astra in before shouting to the driver "Oi, you! Follow that hearse!".

"I can't do that, sir" the Driver replies.

"Why not?" the Doctor questions confused

Dickens interrupts "I'll tell you why not. I'll give you a very good reason why not. Because this is my coach"

"Well, get in, then. Move!" the Doctor says dragging Dickens in by his jacket.

The driver cracks the whip at the horses and the carriage sets off down the street.

"Come on, you're losing them" the Doctor encourages wanting them to go faster.

"Everything in order, Mister Dickens?" the driver asks

"No! It is not!" Dickens blusters.

"What did he say?" the Doctor asks Astra looking over interested as well.

"Let me say this first. I'm not without a sense of humour" Dickens says.

"Dickens?" the Doctor asks

"Yes" Dickens nods

"Charles Dickens?" Astra asks to clarify.

"Yes" Dickens says again not completely sure why it matters.

"The Charles Dickens?" the Doctor says sharing a look with Astra who was looking back at him equally excited.

"Should I remove the gentleman and lady, sir?" the driver asks not sure what to do.

"Charles Dickens? You're brilliant, you are. Completely one hundred percent brilliant. I've read them all. Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and what's the other one, the one with the ghost?" the Doctor rambles.

"A Christmas Carol?" Dickens asks.

"No, no, no, the one with the trains. The Signal Man, that's it. Terrifying! The best short story ever written. You're a genius" the Doctor says enthusiastically.

"My favourite is The Trial for Murder" Astra says equally enthusiastic.

"You want me to get rid of 'em, sir?" the driver asks again.

"Er, no, I think he can stay" Dickens says enjoying their behaviour.

"Honestly, Charles. Can I call you Charles? I'm such a big fan" the Doctor continues.

"A what? A big what?" Dickens asks confused.

"Fan. Number one fan, that's me" the Doctor reiterates.

"How exactly are you a fan? In what way do you resemble a means of keeping oneself cool?" Dickens asks wondering if he shouldn't have had them kicked out when he had the chance.

"No, it means fanatic, devoted to. Mind you, I've got to say, that American bit in Martin Chuzzlewit, what's that about? Was that just padding or what? I mean, it's rubbish, that bit" the Doctor says.

"I thought you said you were my fan" Dickens asks.

"Ah, well, if you can't take criticism. Go on, do the death of Little Nell, it cracks me up. No, sorry, forget about that. Come on, faster!" the Doctor orders back on track.

"Who exactly is in that hearse?" Dickens asks seeing the slight urgency in the Doctors face.

"A girl I'm travelling with. She's only nineteen. She's in my care, and she keeps putting herself in danger" the Doctor explains.

"Why are we wasting my time talking about dry old books? This is much more important. Driver, be swift! The chase is on!" Dickens orders straightening up.

"Yes, sir!" the driver says.

"Attaboy, Charlie" the Doctor says.

"Nobody calls me Charlie" Dickens says.

"The ladies do" the Doctor replies wiggling his eyebrows earning a smack on the arm from Astra which make shim laugh slightly.

"How do you know that?" Dickens asks looking shocked at what the Astra had just done.

"I told you, I'm your number one" the Doctor starts.

"Number one fan" Dickens finishes for him rolling his eyes.

~*0*~

"The poor girl's still alive, sir! What're we going to do with her?" Gwyneth asks not really comfortable with what was happening but not able to do anything against it. She needed this job.

"I don't know! I didn't plan any of this, did I. It isn't my fault if the dead won't stay dead" Sneed complains.

"Then whose fault is it, sir? Why is this happening to us?" Gwyneth asks letting some of her fear show.

Gwyneth and Sneed leave after putting Rose in the basement room on one of the tables with the coffins. As they leave neither of them see the gas lamp flare or hear the whispered voices that seem to be coming from it.

~*0*~

"I did the Bishop a favour, once. Made his nephew look like a cherub even though he'd been a fortnight in the weir. Perhaps he'll do us an exorcism on the cheap" Sneed says to Gwyneth just as someone knocks on the door. Sneed directs Gwyneth to answer it saying "Say I'm not in. Tell them we're closed. Just, just get rid of them" before going back down the corridor and out of sight

~*0*~

Rose slowly wakes up from the chloroform just as blue gas from the lamp swirls into the room before entering and animating young Mister Redpath, who had been placed in a coffin on the next table.

~*0*~

Gwyneth opens the front door just after they knock again to Dickens, with the Doctor and Astra standing slightly behind him, letting him take the lead.

"I'm sorry, sir. We're closed" she says politely.

"Nonsense. Since when did an Undertaker keep office hours? The dead don't die on schedule. I demand to see your master" Dickens says strictly.

"He's not in, sir" she says before trying to close the door, only for Dickens to stick his hand out to stop her from being able to.

"Don't lie to me, child. Summon him at once" he demands getting angry now.

"I'm awfully sorry, Mister Dickens, but the master's indisposed" Gwyneth says hoping that they can hear the plea in her voice for them to go away.

~*0*~

The young Redpath sits up in the coffin as Rose rubs her eyes trying to get her mind to focus, disorientated after being knocked out.

~*0*~

The gas lamps in the entry flare which the Doctor notices and comments "Having trouble with your gas?"

This makes Dickens notice and he has to ask "What the Shakespeare is going on?"

~*0*~

Rose finally looks around the room and sees the corpse sitting up in his coffin. Seeing he has her attention he puts his hands on the side closest to her and starts to climb out.

"Are you all right?" Rose asks not sure what is happening to the man "You're kidding me, yeah? You're just kidding. You are kidding me, aren't you?" she questions just as the corpse succeeds in getting out over the side of the coffin and walking very stiffly towards her. "Okay, not kidding" she says as she gets up off the table and runs to the door.

~*0*~

The Doctor pushes past Gwyneth to the flaring gas lamp, Astra following closely behind him curious as always.

"You're not allowed inside, sir" Gwyneth says not wanting them to get hurt.

"There's something inside the walls" the Doctor says putting his ear against the wall and listening, Astra following him to here the sound of a strong wind moving behind the plaster.

~*0*~

Rose tries the door before turning around to see Mrs Redpath getting reanimates in her coffin by one of the blue entities.

~*0*~

"The gas pipes. Some thing's living inside the gas" the Doctor says still listening to what is going on inside the walls as Astra pulls away and looks around at all the lamps.

~*0*~

Rose turns and starts banging on the door "Let me out!" she shouts panicking as the old lady manages to get out of her coffin she picks up a nearby vase and throwing it at the man. He stumbles back slightly but doesn't seem perturbed as he steadies himself before carrying on toward her.

~*0*~

Rose's shout of "Open the door!" can be heard from the main entry.

"That's her" the Doctor says before heading off in the direction of the voice .

Astra catches up to him quickly, before glibly saying "I'm getting the curious sensation of Deja vu" making the Doctor smile at her as he laughs slightly.

"Please, please, let me out!" they hear as the go down a hall way passing Sneed with Dickens following them. All of them ignoring his indignant shout of "How dare you, sir. This is my house!" he says directly to Dickens who just takes off his hat and brushes past him saying "Shut up"

"I told you" Sneed complains to Gwyneth before they both follow after them.

~*0*~

"Let me out! Somebody open the door! Open the door!" Rose shouts still banging on the door before screaming as one of the bodies grabs her from behind putting a hand over her mouth just as the Doctor kicks the door in.

"I think this is my dance" he says grabbing Rose and spinning her out of harms way, only for her to throw her arms around his neck and cling to him tightly. The Doctor just pats her on the back not really knowing what to do in this situation and looking extremely uncomfortable shooting a look to Astra that plainly says 'HELP'.

Astra pulls Rose off the Doctor snickering at his discomfort, manoeuvring Rose so that she stands beside her so that the Doctor can speak just as Dickens says clearly not believing what his eyes are telling him "It's a prank. It must be. We're under some mesmeric influence"

"No, we're not. The dead are walking. Hi" the Doctor says to Dickens before turning to Rose deciding to try and distract her a bit.

"Hi. Who's your friend?" Rose answers.

"Charles Dickens" the Doctor answers before turning back to the corpses.

"Oh! Okay" Rose breathes clearly overwhelmed.

"My name's the Doctor. Who are you, then? What do you want?" the Doctor introduces himself to the corpses.

The voice that answers seems to be several voices speaking as one "Failing. Open the rift. We're dying. Trapped in this form. Cannot sustain. Help us. Argh!" The gas seems to scream before leaving the corpses and returning into the gas lamp. As the entities leave the corpses collapse to the ground with a thunk.

~*0*~

They all settle into the sitting room of the house, the Doctor and Astra standing off to the side listening as Rose rants at Sneed "first of all you drug me, then you kidnap me, and don't think I didn't feel your hands having a quick wander, you dirty old man" she says getting in Sneed's face hoping to appear intimidating to the man.

"I won't be spoken to like this!" Sneed blusters not used to out spoken women.

"Then you stuck me in a room full of zombies! And if that ain't enough, you swan off and leave me to die! So come on, talk!" Rose demands ignoring what he said.

"It's not my fault. It's this house. It always had a reputation. Haunted. But I never had much bother until a few months back, and then the stiffs, the er, dear departed started getting restless" Sneed tries to corrects himself making the Doctor stifle a laugh.

"Tommy-rot" Dickens scoffs clearly not believing a word of it.

"You witnessed it. Can't keep the beggars down, sir. They walk. And it's the queerest thing, but they hang on to scraps" Sneed says.

Gwyneth places the Doctor's and Astra's cups on the mantelpiece beside them both "Two sugars, sir, ma'am, just how you both like it" before turning away making both the Doctor and Astra stare after her for a moment before looking at each other wondering just how she knew how they both take there tea.

"One old fellow who used to be a sexton almost walked into his own memorial service. Just like the old lady going to your performance, sir, just as she planned" Sneed says directing that last part to Dickens.

"Morbid fancy" Dickens says decisively.

"Oh, Charles, you were there" the Doctor says nearing the end of his patience with the man.

"I saw nothing but an illusion" Dickens says adamantly.

"If you're going to deny it, don't waste my time. Just shut up" the Doctor says before turning back to Sneed and asking "What about the gas?"

"That's new, sir. Never seen anything like that" Sneed answers seeing that the man called Doctor seems to know what he is doing.

"Means it's getting stronger, the rift's getting wider and some thing's sneaking through" the Doctor says thinking out loud.

"What's the rift?" Astra asks curious.

"A weak point in time and space. A connection between this place and another. That's the cause of ghost stories, most of the time" the Doctor explains.

"That's how I got the house so cheap. Stories going back generations" Sneed says just as Dickens decides he has had enough and leaves the room slamming the door behind him. "Echoes in the dark, queer songs in the air, and this feeling like a shadow passing over your soul" Sneed says dramatically before taking on a more sheepish tone "mind you, truth be told, it's been good for business. Just what people expect from a gloomy old trade like mine"

~*0*~

Out in the hall way Dickens stops by a gas lamp looking at it for a moment before going closer to it stopping and trying to listen to the whispers before shaking his head at himself and saying "Impossible"

**AN: I dunno why I decided to stop here but it's as good a place as any I suppose. Sorry it took so long to update (for me anyway) I got distracted by an Avengers OC and another entry to LizzeXX's the Doctor remembers Angel challenge. I will try to update this at least once a week but it all depends on whether I get the chapter done and how much trouble I have with it so I make no promises.**

******Thank you for the Reviews, Favourites and Alerts it helps me to know people are enjoying this :)**

******Hope you like it, please ********let******** me what you think,**

******I'll have the next part up as quick as I can, Sarah x :)**


	6. The Unquiet Dead - Part 2

******Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who. **

******The Unquiet Dead (Part ********2********)**

Dickens heads into the Chapel of Rest heading over to the nearest coffin, he takes the lid off the Mr. Redpath's coffin. Looking down at the man in consternation before rapidly waving his hand in front of the dead man's face. The Doctor, having finished talking to the others watches from the doorway as Dickens searches the coffin and the body for anything that will explain this for him.

"Checking for strings?" the Doctor questions blandly.

"Wires, perhaps. There must be some mechanism behind this fraud" Dickens says desperately trying to cling to his splintering ideas of reality.

"Oh, come on, Charles" the Doctor says heading over to the man "All right. I shouldn't have told you to shut up. I'm sorry. But you've got one of the best minds in the world. You saw those gas creatures" putting a hand on his arm trying to get the man to see the truth.

"I cannot accept that" Dickens states adamantly.

"And what does the human body do when it decomposes? It breaks down and produces gas. Perfect home for these gas things. They can slip inside and use it as a vehicle, just like your driver and his coach" the Doctor says ignoring what Dickens says.

"Stop it. Can it be that I have the world entirely wrong?" Dickens says looking to the Doctor for answers.

"Not wrong" the Doctor says simply "there's just more to learn"

"I've always railed against the fantasists. Oh, I loved an illusion as much as the next man, revelled in them, but that's exactly what they were, illusions. The real world is something else. I dedicated myself to that. Injustices, the great social causes. I hoped that I was a force for good. Now you tell me that the real world is a realm of spectres and jack-o'-lanterns. In which case, have I wasted my brief span here, Doctor? Has it all been for nothing?" Dickens says sadly not knowing what to believe.

~*0*~

Gwyneth heads into the pantry and lights a gas lamp on the wall so she can see what she is doing. Astra follows her in heading straight over to the basin of water and starting the washing up.

"Please, miss, you shouldn't be helping. It's not right" Gwyneth says shocked trying to take the stuff off her and do it herself.

"Don't be silly. Sneed works you to death" Astra says.

"How much do you get paid?" Rose asks rudely looking at Gwyneth as she enters the room and leans against the wall.

"Eight pound a year, miss" Gwyneth answers obediently.

"How much?" Rose spits out in shock, clearly not registering that they are in a different time and that things work a little differently here.

"I know. I would've been happy with six" Gwyneth says ruefully shaking her head thinking Rose is shocked at how much she, a little servant girl gets paid.

"So, did you go to school or what?" Rose asks wondering what else is different.

"Of course I did. What do you think I am, an urchin? I went every Sunday, nice and proper" Gwyneth says slightly offended.

"What, once a week?" Rose says shocked again.

"We did sums and everything. To be honest, I hated every second" Gwyneth says conspiratorially.

"Me too" Rose says with a laugh.

"What about you miss?" Gwyneth asks Astra.

"I didn't like going to school but I did enjoy learning new things so I suppose it served it's purpose for me" Astra says softly with a smile to Gwyneth who returns it.

"Don't tell anyone, but one week, I didn't go and ran on the heath all on my own" Gwyneth says giggling guiltily.

"I did plenty of that. I used to go down the shops with my mate Shareen. We used to go and look at boys" Rose says dreamily.

"Well, I don't know much about that, miss" Gwyneth says shocked at her words and turning to carry on with her work uncomfortable with the direction the conversation is going.

"Come on, times haven't changed that much. I bet you've done the same" Rose pushes.

"I don't think so, miss" Gwyneth denies shaking her head.

"Gwyneth, you can tell me. I bet you've got your eye on someone" Rose pushes harder.

Gwyneth sighs before saying timidly "I suppose. There is one lad. The butcher's boy. He comes by every Tuesday. Such a lovely smile on him".

"I like a nice smile" Astra says agreeing the description.

"Good smile, nice bum" Rose nods shocking Gwyneth.

"Well, I have never heard the like" Gwyneth says completely shocked.

"Ask him out. Give him a cup of tea or something, that's a start" Rose says not seeming to realise it would be different in this time zone.

"I swear it is the strangest thing, miss. You've got all the clothes and the breeding, but you talk like some sort of wild thing" Gwyneth says coming out if her shock slightly.

Rose looks slightly offended before shaking it off and saying adamantly "Maybe I am. Maybe that's a good thing. You need a bit more in your life than Mister Sneed"

"Oh, now that's not fair. He's not so bad, old Sneed. He was very kind to me to take me in because I lost my mum and dad to the flu when I was twelve" Gwyneth says softly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry" Astra says sympathetically wanting to comfort her but couldn't without getting her wet.

"Thank you, miss. But I'll be with them again, one day, sitting with them in paradise. I shall be so blessed. They're waiting for me. Maybe your dad's up there waiting for you too, miss" Gwyneth says sounding completely sure of herself.

"Maybe. Er, who told you he was dead?" Rose asks baffled.

Gwyneth clears her throat and turns back to the washing saying "I don't know. Must have been the Doctor"

"My father died years back" Rose says lost in thought.

"But you've been thinking about him lately more than ever" Gwyneth says before she can stop herself.

"I suppose so. How do you know all this?" Rose asks.

"Mister Sneed says I think too much. I'm all alone down here. I bet you've got dozens of servants, haven't you, miss?" Gwyneth says dismissively before turning to Astra knowing she seems to be more upper class that Rose.

"No, no servants for me where I'm from, I enjoy doing it myself to much for that, it has a calming effect" Astra says making Gwyneth smile.

"And you've come such a long way" she continues getting a slightly glazed look in her eyes as she stares directly at Astra.

"What makes you think so?" Astra asks turning to focus fully on Gwyneth as she dries her hands on a bit of scrap cloth.

"You're from London. I've seen London in drawings, but never like that. All those people rushing about half naked, for shame. And the noise, and the metal boxes racing past, and the birds in the sky, no, they're metal as well. Metal birds with people in them. People are flying. And you, you've flown so far. Further than anyone. Such a curious creature you are, so lost, so confused. The things you've seen. The darkness, the light, the big bad wolf" Gwyneth says stumbling back against the shelves before stammering "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, miss"

"It's all right" Astra says brushing off what she said and moving to comfort the girl.

"I can't help it. Ever since I was a little girl, my mam said I had the sight. She told me to hide it" Gwyneth says frantically calming slightly as Astra rubs her arms soothingly.

"But it's getting stronger, more powerful, is that right?" the Doctor says as he moves to lean against the door frame.

"All the time, sir. Every night, voices in my head" Gwyneth says a lot calmer now.

"You grew up on top of the rift. You're part of it. You're the key" the Doctor explains simply.

"I've tried to make sense of it, sir. Consulted with spiritualists, table rappers, all sorts" Gwyneth says shaking her head.

"Well, that should help. You can show us what to do" the Doctor says confusing everyone in the room.

"What to do where, sir?" Gwyneth questions confused.

"We're going to have a séance" the Doctor answers as if it should be obvious.

~*0*~

Everyone gathers around a round table in the sitting room. Gwyneth is at the head of the sat to right is the Doctor, then Astra, then Sneed, then Rose, then Dickens who is on her left.

"This is how Madam Mortlock summons those from the Land of Mists, down in big town. Come, we must all join hands" Gwyneth explains a bit excited to be trying something like this holding her hands out for the Doctor and Dickens.

The Doctor takes her hand immediately but Dickens takes her hand before quickly letting go and standing up "I can't take part in this"

"Humbug? Come on, open mind" Doctor says, trying to convince him to sit back down.

"This is precisely the sort of cheap mummery I strive to unmask. Séances? Nothing but luminous tambourines and a squeeze box concealed between the knees. This girl knows nothing" Dickens says adamantly.

"Now, don't antagonise her. I love a happy medium" the Doctor says with a grin.

"I can't believe you just said that" Astra says laughing at him under her breath making the Doctor smile at her.

"Come on, we might need you" the Doctor encourages.

Dickens reluctantly sits back down between Rose and Gwyneth, taking both their hands in the process. Everyone else, now holding hands on the table, leans forwards all focused on Gwyneth.

"Good man. Now, Gwyneth, reach out" the Doctor nods

Gwyneth looks up toward the ceiling and then speaks in a loud clear voice "Speak to us. Are you there? Spirits, come. Speak to us that we may relieve your burden" Dickens looks around at all the flickering lights.

The whispering starts swirling around them, loud enough for them all to hear.

"Can you hear that?" Rose says getting scared.

"Nothing can happen. This is sheer folly" Dickens says sounding lore like he was trying to convince himself than anything else.

"Look at her" Astra says.

"I see them. I feel them" Gwyneth says as tendrils of the blue gas start to drift above their heads all around the room.

"What's it saying?" Rose asks in a shaky voice.

"They can't get through the rift. Gwyneth, it's not controlling you, you're controlling it. Now, look deep. Allow them through" the Doctor says encouragingly to Gwyneth.

"I can't!" Gwyneth gasps starting to struggle a bit under the pressure.

"Yes, you can. Just believe it. I have faith in you, Gwyneth. Make the link" the Doctor continues eagerly

"Yes" Gwyneth says breathlessly opening her eyes and looking straight ahead, as a blue outline of three people appear behind Gwyneth.

"Great God! Spirits from the other side" Sneed gasps astonished.

"The other side of the universe" the Doctor comments off handedly.

The figures speak with two children's voices in sync with Gwyneth who speaks with them "Pity us. Pity the Gelth. There is so little time. Help us"

"What do you want us to do?" the Doctor asks not willing to make any promises until he knows.

The Gelth and Gwyneth continue to speak in sync "The rift. Take the girl to the rift. Make the bridge"

"What for?" the Doctor demands not willing to let the avoid the question.

The voices say "We are so very few. The last of our kind. We face extinction"

"Why, what happened?" the Doctor demands to know not moving an inch.

They speak again "Once we had a physical form like you, but then the war came"

"War? What war?" Dickens asks still in shock over what is happening.

They say "The Time War. The whole universe convulsed. The Time War raged. Invisible to smaller

species but devastating to higher forms. Our bodies wasted away. We're trapped in this gaseous

state" at the term Time War Astra tenses, looking at the Doctor. Seeing the look on the Doctor face makes her worry, it was almost too much of a coincidence that they mention it with the Doctor sitting right there, it seemed extremely questionable.

"So that's why you need the corpses" the Doctor says considering it.

"We want to stand tall, to feel the sunlight, to live again. We need a physical form, and your dead are abandoned. They're going to waste. Give them to us" they say getting pushy now.

"But we can't" Rose says.

"Why not?" the Doctor questions.

"It's not. I mean, it's not" Rose stutters.

"Not decent? Not polite? It could save their lives" the Doctor says blandly before turning back to the Gelth as they speak.

"Open the rift. Let the Gelth through. We're dying. Help us. Pity the Gelth" they say just as they release Gwyneth who jolt forward panting before passing out, the Gelth disappearing into the gas lamps on the wall behind her.

"Gwyneth?" Astra says as she gets up and goes over to the girl wanting to make sure she is OK.

Dickens sits back in his chair mumbling "All true"

"Are you okay?" Astra asks Dickens as she establishes that Gwyneth is just tired.

"It's all true" Dickens says shakily.

~*0*~

A little while later, Gwyneth lay on the chaise lounge with Astra dabbing her head with a cool cloth she just starts to come around when Astra shushes her softly telling her to "Lay back down, everything's alright, just rest".

"But my angels, miss. They came, didn't they? They need me?" Gwyneth says weakly.

"They do need you, Gwyneth. You're they're only chance of survival" the Doctor says seeing her awake.

"I've told you, pack it in and leave her alone. She's exhausted and she needs rest. Drink this" Astra says holding a glass of water for her to drink as the Doctor sighs knowing she was right.

"Well, what did you say, Doctor? Explain it again. What are they?" Sneed questions.

"Aliens" the Doctor answers bluntly.

"Like foreigners, you mean?" Sneed asks sounding unsure.

"Pretty foreign, yeah. From up there" the Doctor says pointing to the ceiling.

"Brecon?" Sneed asks.

"Close. And they've been trying to get through from Brecon to Cardiff but the road's blocked. Only a few can get through and even then they're weak. They can only test drive the bodies for so long, then they have to revert to gas and hide in the pipes" the Doctor explains.

"Which is why they need the girl" Dickens says slurring a bit after downing a glass of port.

"They're not having her" Rose says as if she is in charge.

"But she can help. Living on the rift, she's become part of it. She can open it up, make a bridge and let them through" the Doctor says not understanding why she is so against this.

"Incredible. Ghosts that are not ghosts but beings from another world, who can only exist in our world by inhabiting cadavers" Dickens says astonished.

"Good system. It might work" the Doctor says approvingly.

"You can't let them run around inside of dead people" Rose states as if it was obvious.

"Why not? It's like recycling" the Doctor says.

"Seriously though, you can't" Rose replies.

"Seriously though, I can" the Doctor says raising an eye brow at her.

"It's just wrong. Those bodies were living people. We should respect them even in death" Rose says knowing that's not her real reason, knowing she is just freaked out at the idea of the dead walking but knowing that morally that was the better objection to say out loud.

"Do you carry a donor card?" the Doctor asks.

"No" Rose says.

Astra decides to speak up "I do, but it's not the same thing, this is an era of superstition if the dead start walking their will be a massacre"

"It is different, yeah. It's a different morality.

"Yeah, cause people get a say in that, donating your organs, that is a CHOICE, these bodies don't get a say in the matter and that is NOT right no matter how many different ways you say it Doctor" Astra says adamantly.

"You heard what they said, time's short. I can't worry about a few corpses when the last of the Gelth could be dying" the Doctor pleads.

"I don't care. They're not using her" Rose says but no one listens to her.

"I know, but I want you to realise what is happening. The bodies are one thing, yeah, I get it, time is short, but mentioning the Time War, the one thing you are still recovering from... that's too much of a coincidence for me" Astra says wanting him to think instead of just reacting.

"What do you want me to do? What if it was just a fact not a manipulation?" the Doctor questions wanting her to tell him what he should do now that he has stopped and is actually thinking about it.

"Just... be careful, be wary" Astra says "think and walk into this clearly knowing it can go wrong and then cross that bridge if we come to it, but remember that you can't take these kind of things at face value. Just please, Please be careful"

The Doctor just nods his head, knowing she was right and that she was willing to take the risk with him, but at the same time wanting him to just be more careful and not rush in.

"Don't I get a say, miss?" Gwyneth says from the couch looking at Rose, not hearing anything the Doctor and Astra have just said.

"Look, you don't understand what's going on" Rose says rudely.

"You would say that, miss, because that's very clear inside your head, that you think I'm stupid" Gwyneth says mildly.

"That's not fair" Rose complains not even trying to deny which no one misses.

"It's true, though. Things might be very different where you're from, but here and now, I know my own mind, and the angels need me. Doctor, what do I have to do?" Gwyneth says turning to him.

"You don't have to do anything" the Doctor says knowing that he needs to give her the choice, but also knowing she won't know to be careful because she thinks they are her angels.

"They've been singing to me since I was a child, sent by my mam on a holy mission. So tell me" Gwyneth says, which makes the Doctor share a look with Astra both silently promising to keep an eye on her when she won't.

"We need to find the rift. This house is on a weak spot, so there must be a spot that's weaker than any other. Mister Sneed, what's the weakest part of this house? The place where most of the ghosts have been seen?" the Doctor questions a lot more cautious now turning to Sneed.

"That would be the morgue" Sneed say nodding his head.

"No chance you were going to say gazebo, is there?" Rose says her voice slightly shaking, not being a fan of going near any dead bodies

~*0*~

"Urgh. Talk about Bleak House" the Doctor says as trying to lighten the mood as they all enter the basement.

"Doctor, if the Gelth had succeeded wouldn't we know about it? 'cause wouldn't there be corpses walking round in our time?" Astra asks curious as to how that would work.

The Doctor looks over to her seeing nothing but curiosity in her eyes answers "Time's in flux, changing in every second. Your world as you know it can be rewritten like that" he says snapping his fingers "Nothing is safe. Everything can be changed. Everything, remember that."

"Doctor, I think the room is getting colder" Dickens says as his breath starts misting in the air.

"Here they come" Rose comments unnecessarily, standing with Dickens near the door.

A Gelth flies out of the gas lamp by the door and stands under a stone archway that separates the room.

"You've come to help. Praise the Doctor. Praise him" it says.

"Promise you won't hurt her" Astra demands wanting to make sure.

"Hurry! Please, so little time. Pity the Gelth" it says frantically ignoring Astra.

After sharing a look with Astra the Doctor says "I'll take you somewhere else after the transfer. Somewhere you can build proper bodies. This isn't a permanent solution, all right?"

"My angels. I can help them live" Gwyneth says drifting towards the arch entranced.

"Okay, where's the weak point?" the Doctor says seeing that they have no choice in the matter and that Gwyneth will go through with it wither way.

"Here, beneath the arch" it says.

"Beneath the arch" Gwyneth repeats a sign that the connection is already building the closer she gets.

Gwyneth stands under the arch, surrounded by the Gelth.

Astra steps forward taking both of her hand in hers "You don't have to do this" she says knowing this will be the last chance to get her to think it through.

"My angels" Gwyneth breaths not answering her.

"Establish the bridge. Reach out to the void. Let us through!" the Gelth says

"Yes, I can see you. I can see you. Come!" Gwyneth says breathlessly.

"Bridgehead establishing" the Gelth says.

"Come to me. Come to this world, poor lost souls!" Gwyneth says.

"It is begun. The bridge is made" the Gelth say as Gwyneth opens her mouth wide and the gas entities comes out and starts swirling around the room.

"She has given herself to the Gelth. The bridge is open. We descend" the blue apparition surrounding Gwyneth says before it turns flame red with sharp teeth. It's voice deepens and hardens and it almost snarls "The Gelth will come through in force"

"You said that you were few in number" Dickens says strongly.

"A few billion. And all of us in need of corpses" the Gelth snarls as the others fly into the corpses on the tables and they start to rise.

"Gwyneth, stop this. Listen to your master. This has gone far enough. Stop dabbling, child, and leave these things alone, I beg of you" Sneed tries to order Gwyneth.

"Mister Sneed, get back!" Astra shouts just as a male corpse grabs Sneed and snaps his neck.

She flinches back watching as a Gelth enters Sneed and take over his body as well.

"I think you where right, we shouldn't have trusted them" the Doctor says grabbing Astra hand and backing them up slightly.

"I have joined the legions of the Gelth. Come, march with us" Sneed's voice echoes with the Gelth that is now inhabiting his body.

"Oh, good grief" Dickens says as he backs up towards the door.

"We need bodies. All of you. Dead. The human race. Dead" dead Sneed says.

"Gwyneth, stop them! Send them back now!" the Doctor shouts to Gwyneth.

"Three more bodies. Convert them. Make them vessels for the Gelth" the Gelth say.

Dead Sneed backs Astra and the Doctor up against a metal gate at the far end of the room.

"Doctor, I can't. I'm sorry. This new world of yours is too much for me. I'm so..." Dickens says only to be interrupted by a scream which sends him and Rose running out the door.

The Doctor and Astra open the metal gate locking it behind them hoping it will give them some form of protection as the corpses cannot reach them there..

"Give yourself to glory. Sacrifice your lives for the Gelth" the Gelth say from the corpses as they all reach through the gate trying to get to the pair.

"I gave you the chance. I pitied you!" the Doctor says angrily.

"We don't want your pity. We want this world and all it's flesh" the Gelth say.

"Not while I'm alive" the Doctor says firmly.

"Then live no more" the Gelth say simply.

~*0*~

Dickens runs through the house down the landing and out the front door slamming it shut behind him. Leaning against it taking deep breath she looks to the side of the door only to see the Gelth coming through the gaps in the door frame. As Rose braces herself on her knees trying to get her breath back.

The Gelth screams at Dickens which sets him off running along with Rose, the Gelth following after them.

~*0*~

"What happens if I die here? I haven't technically been born yet does that effect that or am I wiped completely from existence?" Astra asks quickly wanting to be aware of what is coming.

The Doctor doesn't give her an answer he just says "I'm sorry"

~*0*~

"Failing! Atmosphere hostile!" the Gelth chasing Dickens says just before it disappears in to the gas lit street lamp.

"Gas. The gas!" Dickens says realising something before turning back around and running back to the house, leaving Rose trailing behind him at a much more sedate pace not in a rush to get back to the house at all.

~*0*~

"Doctor, what happens if I die now?" Astra says demanding an answer, not all that scared of dying, but of no one remembering her.

"Time isn't a straight line. It can twist into all sorts of shapes. You can be born in the twentieth century and die in the nineteenth and it's all my fault. I brought you here" the Doctor explains softly.

"It's not your fault. I wanted to come" Astra says not letting him blame himself.

"What about me? I saw the fall of Troy, World War Five. I pushed boxes at the Boston Tea Party. Now I'm going to die in a dungeon in Cardiff" the Doctor says pulling a face at the thought of dying in Cardiff.

"It's not just dying. We'll become one of them" Astra says.

~*0*~

Dickens runs back into Sneed's house and turns the gas lamps off then on again extinguishing the flames but putting the gas on full. He pulls out a handkerchief and holds it to his mouth to try and stop himself choking on the unlit gas as he goes doing the same to all the other lamps making his way back to the basement.

~*0*~

"We'll go down fighting, yes?" Astra says getting a determined look on her face.

"Yeah" the Doctor says taking her hand and squeezing it in comfort.

"Together" Astra says enforcing the idea squeezing his hand back.

"Yeah" he says gripping her hand tightly making her look up at him.

"I'm glad so glad I met you" the Doctor says smiling sadly.

"I'm so glad you met me too" she replies with a slight laugh earning a smile from the Doctor just as Dickens runs back into the room.

Dickens shouts "Doctor! Doctor! Turn off the flame, turn up the gas! Now, fill the room, all of it, now!" he finishes putting the handkerchief back over his mouth.

"What're you doing?" the Doctor asks confused.

"Turn it all on. Flood the place!" Dickens says turning the lamp nearest to him off and on again.

The Doctor looks around the room seeming to realise what Dickens is doing "Brilliant. Gas" he says.

"What, so we choke to death instead?" Astra coughs as the gas starts to get to her.

"Am I correct, Doctor? These creatures are gaseous" Dickens asks wanting to make sure.

"Fill the room with gas, it'll draw them out of the host. Suck them into the air like poison from a wound!" the Doctor says nodding his head in acknowledgement to Dickens.

The corpses leave the Doctor and Astra, before starting to stumble towards Dickens.

"I hope, oh Lord, I hope that this theory will be validated soon, if not immediately" Dickens says sounding a little worried.

The Doctor looks around trying to find something to help "Plenty more!" he says as he lets go of Astra hand and rips the pipe from the wall, the corpses all collapse as the Gelth leave them.

"It's working" Dickens shouts in triumph as the Gelth get sucked back into the air, swirling around the room.

The Doctor and Astra come out from behind the gate Astra putting her bandaged hand over her mouth trying to help herself breath.

"Gwyneth, send them back. They lied. They're not angels" the Doctor says running over to her.

"Liars?" Gwyneth says weakly.

"Look at me. If your mother and father could look down and see this, they'd tell you the same. They'd give you the strength. Now send them back!" the Doctor demands.

"I can't breathe" Astra pants trying to pull air into her lungs.

"Charles, get her out" the Doctor orders.

"We can't just leave her" Astra says pulling away from Dickens as he tries to lead her out.

"They're too strong" Gwyneth breathes.

"Remember that world you saw? Rose's world? All those people. None of it will exist unless you send them back through the rift" the Doctor says trying to encourage her.

"I can't send them back. But I can hold them. Hold them in this place, hold them here. Get out" Gwyneth says taking out a box of matches from her apron pocket, now realising why she felt the need to bring them with her.

"But you'll die" Astra shouts to her desperately.

"Leave this place!" Gwyneth says strongly.

"Astra, get out. Go now. I won't leave her while she's still in danger. Now go!" the Doctor says pointing to the door.

Astra finally lets Dickens lead her out the door.

"Come on, leave give that to me" the Doctor says holding out a hand for the matches.

~*0*~

Dickens drags Astra by the arm through the landing calling "This way!" to her as he pushes her in front of him to let her out first.

~*0*~

Gwyneth doesn't make any move to give him the matches. The Doctors eyes seem to widen a fraction before he moves forward placing a hand on the side of her neck he tries to feel for a pulse.

Pulling his hand away he say "I'm sorry" looking upset he leans forward and kisses her on her forehead.

The Doctor lingers there for a moment closing his eyes in sadness before pulling back and saying "Thank you"

The Doctor runs out just as Gwyneth opens the box and takes out a match. The Gelth swirl around her as she listens for the Doctor running through the house until he reaches the landing. She pauses for a moment giving him a little more time to reach the front door before she strikes the match.

~*0*~

The Doctor runs out just making it to the door when...

Kaboom!

The Doctor is sent flying across the street near to Astra and Dickens from the blast waves.

Astra runs over to him and takes one look at his face before saying sadly "She didn't make it"

"I'm sorry. She closed the rift" the Doctor says confirming it as they both look towards the burning house.

"At such a cost. The poor child" Dickens says mournfully as Rose finally arrives back at the house.

"I did try, but Gwyneth was already dead. She had been for at least five minutes" the Doctor explains to Astra ignoring Rose.

"She was dead from the minute she stood in that arch, wasn't she?" Astra says taking a deep breath as the Doctor just smiles sadly and nods his head.

"There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy. Even for you, Doctor" Dickens says.

"She saved the world. A servant girl. No one but us will ever know" Astra says sadly, wishing their was some way to tell people that.

~*0*~

They make there way back to the Alleyway where the TARDIS is parked the Doctor saying cheerfully "Right then, Charlie boy, I've just got to go into my, er, shed. Won't be long" unlocking the door as Rose goes right in not bothering to say goodbye.

"What are you going to do now?" Astra asks Dickens curiously.

"I shall take the mail coach back to London, quite literally post-haste. This is no time for me to be on my own. I shall spend Christmas with my family and make amends to them. After all I've learned tonight, there can be nothing more vital" Dickens announces making Astra smile.

"You've cheered up" the Doctor comments wryly.

"Exceedingly! This morning, I thought I knew everything in the world. Now I know I've just started. All these huge and wonderful notions, Doctor. I'm inspired. I must write about them" Dickens says excitedly.

"Do you think that's wise?" Astra asks still smiling although a little more sad this time.

"I shall be subtle at first. The Mystery of Edwin Drood still lacks an ending. Perhaps the killer was not the boy's uncle. Perhaps he was not of this Earth. The Mystery of Edwin Drood and the Blue Elementals. I can spread the word, tell the truth" Dickens assures her happily not noticing her sadness.

"Good luck with it. Nice to meet you. Fantastic" the Doctor says shaking his hand.

"Goodbye, then, and thanks" Astra says pulling the man into a hug.

"Oh, my dear. How modern. Thank you, but, I don't understand. In what way is this goodbye? Where are you going?" Dickens says a little bit flustered.

"You'll see. In the shed" the Doctor says jerking his head towards the TARDIS.

"Upon my soul, Doctor, it's one riddle after another with you. But after all these revelations, there's one mystery you still haven't explained. Answer me this. Who are you?" Dickens asks curious.

The Doctor hesitates a moment before saying "Just a friend passing through"

"But you have such knowledge of future times. I don't wish to impose on you, but I must ask you. My books. Doctor, do they last?" he says curiously.

"Oh, yes!" the Doctor says smiling.

"For how long?" Dickens says unsure.

"Forever" the Doctor says enthusiastically "Right. Shed. Come on, Astra"

"In the box? Both of you?" Dickens says astonished.

"Down boy. See you" the Doctor says as they both wave at him before entering the TARDIS.

~*0*~

"1869, next year 1870, the year that he dies right? It's so sad, he'll never get to tell his stories" Astra says her smile dropping as they head for the central console.

"Yeah, but in your time, he was already dead. We've brought him back to life, and he's more alive now than he's ever been, old Charlie boy. Let's give him one last surprise" the Doctor says wanting to cheer her up, setting the TARDIS controls.

~*0*~

The TARDIS starts making the wheezing noise making Dickens look back just as he'd turned away, he pauses and watches as the TARDIS de-materialises right in front of him. Astonished at the sight before his very eyes, he laughs, turns and starts to walks away walking past a man who wishes him a "Merry Christmas, sir"

"Merry Christmas to you. God bless us, every one!" Dickens shouts as he heads off.

**AN: For the lovely Guest who managed to review before I took it down, I have a plan for her to open the watch in Bad Wolf, so thats when she will be revealed as a Time Lady if all goes to plan :)**

**And again I am really sorry about these last 2 updates they where a bit of a mess.**

**OK first things first, My OC is just that an OC she is not Romana, so the guest reviewer who hoped she would turn out to be Romana, I'm sorry if you don't like it but I made it very clear in the summary and the opening disclaimer that she is an original character that will eventually be a Time Lady but in no way will she ever be Romana.**

**Just to let everyone know I have never watched the old Doctors I started watching it when it was Christopher Eccleston have watched it from there, and I have no interest in watching from earlier than him really.**

**Thank you for all the Favourites, Alerts and Reviews.**

******Hope you like it, please let********me what you think, ********I'll have the next part up as quick as I can, Sarah x :)**


End file.
